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GENERAL SHTiRIDAN AT IIVE FORKS. 



^ ^ ?- T- 



POPULAR 

History of the Civil War 



BY 

MRS. C. EMMA CHENEY 



Mr- 31 1894 






FULLY ILLUSTRATED 



BOSTON 
ESTES AND LAURIAT 

PUBLISHERS 



Copyright, 18SS, 1S94, 
By Estks and Lauriat. 



Sanibcrsity press: 

John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. 



TO MY NEPHEW 

CHARLIE CHENEY HYDE, 

FOR WHOSE SAKE ALL BOYS ARE DEAR, 

IN THE HOPE THAT HE MAY SO LOVE HIS COUNTRY AS 

TO LIVE ACCORDING TO ITS LAWS, AND, IF 

NEED BE, TO TAKE UP ARMS 

IN ITS DEFENCE, 

Ef}is Book is affectionatclg inscribeti 

BY 

AUNT EMMA. 



PREFACE. 



IN writing this little book, it has been the aim of the 
author to tell the story of the late civil war so simply, 
that it might interest a class of youthful readers not hitherto 
reached. For this reason, and in order to present a clearer 
picture of the events narrated, it has been found necessary 
to describe many battles in definite outline merely, omitting 
thus, with however much regret, the mention of many names 
which would have adorned the page on which they were 
written. All the statements, however, which have been here 
made, have been carefully and even repeatedly verified ; 
and in consulting authorities the accounts given by the 
earlier have been compared with those given by the more 
recent writers on their stirring theme. 

The author has great pleasure in acknowledging here her 
obligations to the several friends whose kindness has greatly 
aided her in her self-imposed task, — a task the greater in 
the responsibility it involves, for that, even after the lapse 
of twenty years, there are yet living so many personal wit- 
nesses who bear with an honorable pride the scars of the 
conflict in which they shared. 



viii ' Preface. 

While it is not possible in these brief lines to mention 
the names of all whose memories of the war have thus 
rendered her aid, the author desires to acknowledge in 
particular her obligations to Lieutenant- General Philip H. 
Sheridan, who with great kindness placed at her disposal sev- 
eral private papers relating to his personal services in the war. 
To General William T. Sherman and to Major-General O. 
O. Howard also, she is indebted for transcribing incidents 
for her use in this connection. The Honorable John A. 
Logan generously placed important documents at her dis- 
posal ; and General William E. Strong, with the same kind 
purpose in view, gave her permission to make extracts from 
a superb manuscript volume written by himself for the sake 
of his son, containing the rich harvest of his army expe- 
riences. Mr. Horatio L. Wait, in many ways which it is 
scarcely possible to recount, both aided and encouraged her 
in her work. 

Special mention should also be made of the permission, 
freely accorded her, to make use of Mr. L. C. Earle's faith- 
ful and spirited portrait of General Sheridan at the battle 
of Five Forks, an accurate copy of which the liberality of 
her publishers has enabled her to present to her readers. 

To Mr. William F. Poole, of the Chicago Public Library, 
it is pleasant to extend special thanks for the unfailing 
courtesy with which he granted the requests made for 
favors in the use. of valuable historical records. 

C. E. C. 



CONTENTS. 



HAPTER Pagb 

I. — The Reason Why i 

II. — A Family Quarrel ...... i8 

III. — A Spark in a Powder-Magazine - ' > - 33 

IV. — A Call for Help 47 

V. — The Nation's Answer 63 

VI. — Clouds 78 

VII. — A Black Monday 91 

VIII. — Western Warriors 108 

IX. — Odds and Ends . • 124 

X. — Old Men for Council, Young Men for War . 138 

XL — On THE Sea 154 

XII. — "Two Heads are Better than One" . . 170 

XIII. — "Where there's a Will, there's a Way" . 187 

XIV. — Two Surprises . 199 

XV. — Here a Little, and There a Little . . . 214 

XVI. — "On TO Richmond!" 226 

XVII. — A Story of Disappointment 242 

VIII. — "Faint, yet Pursuing" 257 

XIX. — A New -Commander 271 

XX. — Broken Chains 294 

XXI. — The Stuff that Heroes are made of . , 309 

■CXII. — Crumbs Picked up 329 

XIII. — Defeat and Victory ...... 341 

:XIV. — ViCKSBURG 364 



X Contents. 

CHAPTER Page 

XXV. — On Many Waters 384 

XXVI. — Steps that Count 396 

XXVII. — In Divers and Sundry Places . . . .411 

XXVIII. — A Pull All Together 424 

XXIX. — Deeds, not Words 438 

XXX. — "If One wishes a Thing done well, let Him 

DO It Himself" 451 

XXXI. — Marching through Georgia . . . .462 
XXXII. — They that go down to the Sea in Shipv . 475 

XXXIII. — A Peep Inside 490 

XXXIV. — The Beginning of the End . . . 502 

XXXV. — At Close Quarters 516 

XXXVI. —The End 530 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page 

General Sheridan at Five Forks . . . Frontispiece 

Sailing from England ....... 2 ^ 

The Nation's Ward ........ 3 i^' 

Mr. Garrison in the Hands of the Mob ... 7 - 

Harper's Ferry . . . . 11 - 

The Slave 15-" 

President Lincoln ; ig - 

Interior of Fort Sumter 23 

Fort Sumter . . . . . . . . . . 27 - 

Refreshments for Volunteers 29 

Lincoln as a Rail-Splitter . . . . . . • 35 - 

A Volunteer Drum-Corps ........ 37 

Steam-Frigate 42 

Planting the Flag on the Ramparts .... 43 

General Scott 48 

The First 'Subscription 49 

Through Baltimore 53 

Capitol at Washington 59^' 

Spirit of the JvForth 64 

Aid Society 65 

Ellsworth and his Zouaves 67 

Negroes coming into the Lines TZi 

St. Louis 81 

Battle of Boonville 85 

xi 



xii Ilhistrations. 

Page 

The Old Flag « ° 93 

Bull Run 99 

In Hospital 103 

Children's Fair 107 

Arsenal, St. Louis , . . . 109 

General Lyon leading the Charge . . . . iii' 

Fremont's House in St. Louis 115 

Colonel Mulligan's Charge ...... 117 

New Boots for Old 125 

East Tennessee Refugees • 127 

Soldiers in Camp 131 

Artillery Skirmish 137 

McClellan with his Troops 141 

Battle of Ball's Bluff 147 

Volunteer Hospital 149 

Hauling Cotton 155 

Interior of Fort Hatteras 159 

James A. Garfield 171 

Gunboats in Line 175 

Field Hospital 182 

Busy Fingers 185 

At the Guns 188 

Passing Island Number Ten .191 

Old Abe 195 

General Grant 201 

Passing the Batteries 205 

Pittsburg Landing 209 

Admiral Goldsborough's Fleet 217 

General B. F. Butler 221 

Ship Merrimac before being cut down .... 231 

Interior of a Turret 235 

Fight of Merrimac and Monitor 239 

General McClellan in the Battle 24? 



Illustrations. xiii 

Page 

McClellan at Williamsburg. ...... 249 

A Double-Turret Ironclad 254 

The Wounded Boy 259 

Telegraphy 260 

Military Ballooning 273 

Battery at Chancellorsville 279 

Aid Society Store-Room ........ 283 

Barbara Freitchie ........ 287 

Cutting off Jackson 291 

Battle of Antietam 299 

Antietam Battle-Ground 303 

Column in Marching Order 311 

Hunted with Bloodhounds 315 

Farragut's Favorite Place in an Engagement . . 319 

Night March of Cavalry . . . . . . • 325 

"Keep out of the Draft" 332 

The Draft 339 

Fredericksburg 342 

Slaves fleeing to the Army for Protection . . . 347 
One Young Lady waved her Handkerchief as they 

PASSED 353 

The Color-Bearer 355 

"With a Hurrah, they rush on" . . . . . 359 

General Sherman . 365 

A Mississippi Schoolhouse ....... 369 

Planting the Flag at Vicksburg 377 

Naval Engagement 389 

Old-Style Fortress 397 

Johnny Clem 405 

Sherman and his Army 413 

Death of Morgan 421 

General Grant . 425 

Wilderness 429 



xiv IllustrS,tions. 

Page 

Spottsylvania ..,.,,, o . 432 

North Anna 435 

Petersburg, July 17, 1864 436 

Army-Corps Chapel near Petersburg 439 v 

Ruins of Chambersburg ....... 445 ^/ 

General Sheridan in the Valley , . » . . 449 

Patriot Orphan Home 452 

Death of McPherson ........ 457 

Christian Commission ........ 463 

A Bummer . 467 

Sherman's Bummers 471 

WiNSLOVV AND THE KEARSARGE 477 

Farragut in the Shrouds 4S3 

The Magic-Lantern in the Hospital. .... 487 
Gunboat Subscription in aid of the Christian Com- 
mission 493 

In the Field - . . . 499 

"Hurry up, General!" = 507 

Singing "John Brown" in Charleston . . , , 511 

Sheridan's Charge 517 

Surrender of Lee 523 

Lee's Farewell to his Army 527 

Lincoln addressing the People 531 

Assassination of Lincoln 535 

The Lincoln Monument . 541 



YOUNG FOLKS' 
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE REASON WHY. 

IT was slavery that made all the trouble. Now that it 
exists no longer, we remember it only as a bad dream 
from which we are thankful to awaken. 

The day is long past in which men and women, and even 
little children, were bought and sold for money in our own 
free country ; for it is indeed true that the laws of our land 
once permitted negroes to be treated as dumb animals 
might have been before there was a humane society to pro- 
tect them. They had no rights, and their wrongs were many. 
Faithful labor for a lifetime brought them no wages. No 
choice of masters was possible. The question whether they 
should suffer hardships, or enjoy comforts, depended wholly 
upon the sort of men who owned them. Some masters were 
kind, and looked after their people ; but by far the greater 
number left the care of their slaves to overseers whose tender 
mercies were cruel. 

But the colored race is easy-going and cheerful by nature, 
taking hfe patiently, and waiting hopefully for the "good 
time coming " by and by. So these poor people dried their 
tears, and sang and prayed and danced ; and their masters 
called them happy children, content with their lot. A true 



Yo7mg Folks^ His tor/ of the Civil War. [1620. 



story of those times, picturing to your minds the wealth and 
luxury and sin on the one hand, and the sorrow and misery 
on the other, would be as hard to believe as any of the " Tales 
of the Arabian Nights." 

The Pilgrim Fathers settled at Plymouth more than two 
hundred years ago. At that time a shipload of negroes had 
already been sent by an English slave- trading company to 
Virginia, landing at Old Point Comfort. 

Vessels from England, Spain, or Portugal, sailed over to 
the coast of Africa to steal the poor blacks who lived there ; 

or, buying them with 

a few beads or a lit- 

.^^ tie money, they were 

\^ " brought to this coun- 

^ try, and sold as slaves. 

Of course, weeks were 
consumed in this terri- 
ble voyage ; and often 
one -fifth of the cargo 
died on the way, from 
heat and hunger, and 
lack of pure air to 
breathe. 
You will be surprised to hear that the English nation was 
not ashamed of this business. In the year 1713 Queen 
Anne of England took one-quarter of the stock in a company 
of this kind ; that is, she gave one-fourth of the money to 
fit out the expedition and to buy the slaves, expecting to get 
one-quarter of the profit. Sliiplonds of these poor creatures 
were brought to this country every year. As early as the 
Revolutionary War, three hundred thousand negroes had 
arrived, and there was not one of the thirteen States that 
did not hold slaves. Even the children of the Pilgrims 
owned Indians, and afterwards negroes. 




SAILING FROM ENGLAND. 



1787.J The Reason Why. 5 

Still, men who had fought so many hard battles to secure 
freedom to themselves were not quite comfortable at the 
thought of enslaving others. In the convention which pre- 
pared the Constitution for the new nation, much dissatisfac- 
tion was manifested with such a state of things ; and, had 
not South Carolina and Georgia resisted so firmly, there is 
little doubt that the slave-trade would have been forbidden 
at that time. This would have been an easy matter then ; 
but it was put off for 'twenty years," to save trouble, when, 
alas ! it was too late. 

Nobody pretended then that slavery was not wrong, but 
it was very profitable. Years after, John C. Calhoun, a South- 
Carolinian, dared to stand up in Congress, and defend it, 
upon the ground that the slave himself was benefited. The 
South believed this doctrine already, and did not need to 
be persuaded. So you can easily see that the custom of 
slavery was an inheritance ; that is, handed down from father 
to son, for many, many years. Indeed, it was such an old 
habit, that few gave it a thought. If, however, it troubled the 
conscience of anybody to own slaves, he felt sorry for it in a 
lazy sort of way, and comforted himself with the thought, " It 
cannot be helped now," never trying to get rid of the sin. 

North of a certain limit, usually called " Mason and Dixon's 
line," slavery was prohibited by a law passed in 1820. This 
fine ran across the country east and west, from the Atlantic 
coast to Mexico, and was so called after the men who sur- 
veyed it. " This line runs on the parallel of 39^ 43' 26", 
and divides Pennsylvania from Maryland." I should like 
to think that all who read this story will trace this division 
on the map. 

The States lying north of this boundary were called free 
States, because a slave who might happen to cross it became 
a free man so long as he remained beyond it. Masters did 
not often take the risk of bringing their slaves to the North, 



6 Young Folks' Historf of the Civil War. [1857-59. 

unless they were very sure that their negroes had no good 
reason for wishing to be free. 

But LIBERTY is a swcet word. It sounded so pleasant to 
the ears of the colored people when they heard it, that they 
began to think about it, and afterwards to speak of it too. 
It meant a great deal of which they had never dared to 
dream. It meant the right to read and write. It meant 
the right to earn one's own bread, and to eat it honestly. 
It meant the right to live with one's own wife and children, 
without the fear of being separated by the dreaded "trader." 

Yet there seemed but one way to get the thing the poor 
slave wished for so constantly. That was to run away from 
his master to the free country which lay so near. 

At last the loss of slave property in this way became very 
common, and the South grew alarmed. So a Virginian 
named Mason succeeded in getting Congress to pass a law 
which gave to the master a right to seize a runaway slave 
wherever he might be found. "All good citizens," so the 
law read, " were commanded to aid and assist " in the search 
and capture. This was the famous " Fugitive Slave Law," 
and it made a great stir. It was very natural that Northern 
people should not take kindly to slave-hunting ; and espe- 
cially did this law vex the people of Boston. 

Indeed, the New-England States were so much opposed to 
the institution or plan of slavery, that they wished to abolish 
it, or to get rid of it altogether. Those who felt in this way 
were called " abolitionists." In Boston a newspaper which 
was devoted to this cause was edited by William Lloyd 
Garrison. In Philadelphia a society called the " American 
Antislavery Society " was formed, whose purpose was to 
destroy the system. 

This association sent books and pamphlets all over the 
country, declaring that slavery was a sin, and which were 
intended to set men to thinking upon the subject. 



1859.1 The Reason Why. 9 

Well, after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, there 
was a great deal of trouble about catching the negroes who 
escaped over the line. Many refused to assist the owners, 
and helped the slaves to get away ; while the fugitives were 
sometimes treated in a very cruel manner both by citizens 
and by officers of the law. So, after that, the runaways 
always tried to get over the border of the United States into 
Canada. The reason was plain. Canada belongs to Great 
Britain : therefore our laws do not hold good there. And 
certainly it only seemed fair that the race which Queen 
Anne helped to sell into bondage so many years before 
should find protection and freedom under Queen Victoria's 
happier reign. 

The Northern people grew every day more indignant as 
time went on. Speeches were made, books were written, 
even novels were founded, upon the wrongs of the colored 
race. Newspapers were filled with the dreadful things which 
were done in the name of the law in order to capture these 
poor creatures. 

At last, nearly ten years after the Fugitive Slave Law was 
made, the first blow for the freedom of the negroes was 
struck, honestly, but most unwisely. It startled the nation, 
and echoed throughout the world. 

You have all sung about John Brown, whose " body lies 
a-mouldering in the grave, but his soul goes marching on." 
Did you know that he was a real man, who gave his life to 
free the colored people? He was a hero and a Christian. 
Led on by the one thought which had ruled his life for 
many years, John Brown determined to secure the freedom 
of the blacks at any risk, trusting to God and his own strong 
right arm fop- the means. 

When Kansas was in great danger of being made a slave 
State, he had gone there, taking with him his four sons, to 
help to make it free. Many a brave battle did these stout- 



lO Young Folks' Hiswry of the Civil War. [1854. 

hearted men fight for the cause of hberty, and many a poor 
slave did they send to Canada at the risk of their own Hves. 
You will, perhaps, wonder how the Territory of Kansas should 
be such a "bone of contention." There was a law provid- 
ing that the Territories should decide the matter of slavery 
for themselves. Of course that question could only be set- 
tled by vote. It was the wish of all free-State men, that 
Kansas should be settled by so large a majority of those 
who disapproved of slavery, that, when it was admitted to 
the Union, it should be free. The struggle was long and 
desperate. Steadily, however, Kansas was filled up with 
Northern men, and at length it was admitted to the Union 
as a free State. But John Brown's share in this victory had 
been dearly bought, — in the loss of two of his sons, and 
the burning of his home. When he was no longer needed 
in Kansas, he went to Harper's Ferry in Virginia, where he 
was joined by his sons and a iQ\N other " madmen," as peo- 
ple said ; for everybody thought him crazy. This was in 
the autumn of 1859. 

For several months they lived quietly on a farm which 
they had rented. It is said that " no meal was eaten on the 
farm, while Old Brown was there, until a blessing had been 
asked upon it." There is little doubt that he was conscien- 
tious, for he had an inborn hatred of slavery. He believed 
himself doing God's work. 

Harper's Ferry is a small village in a deep gorge of the 
Blue Ridge Mountains. It lies where the Potomac and the 
Shenandoah Rivers meet. Here was an arsenal belonging 
to the government, and a national armory, where stores of 
cannon and muskets were kept, as well as powder and shot, 
which we call " ammunition." Many of the villagers were 
employed at the armory, or in the shops belonging to it. 
Brown chose this for his point of attack, no doubt on account 
of the vast quantity of arms stored at Harper's Ferry. 



1859. J The Reason Why. 13 

But only think ! John Brown's whole army was made up 
of seventeen white men and five or six negroes. With these 
he opened the war in the hope that he would soon be joined 
by others. Like a gallant knight, with a brave heart and a 
handful of followers, John Brown set out to right a great 
wrong. 

The Baltimore and Ohio Railway crosses the Potomac 
at Harper's Ferry. The raiders began by tearing up the 
railroad track, and afterwards cutting the telegraph wires. 
Time could be gained in this way, for you know how 
fast news flies nowadays. Quietly the street-lamps were 
put out. At ten o'clock most of the inhabitants were 
asleep. 

It was easy enough to seize the three men who guarded 
the armory, and lock them up in the guard-room. All this 
was done before midnight. 

" 'Twas the sixteenth of Octolier, on the evening of a Sunday ; 

'This good work,' declared the captain 'shall be on a holy night.' 
It was on a Sunday evening, and before the noon of Monday, 

With two sons, and Captain Stephens, fifteen privates, — black 
and white, 

Captain Brown, 

Ossawattoniie Brown, 

Marched across the bridged Potomac, and knocked the sentry down." 

In the mean time, Brown and his men visited the houses 
of several gentlemen in the neighborhood, freeing their 
slaves, and making the masters prisoners. Brown's men 
guarded the streets and bridges ; and by eight o'clock the 
next morning the town was completely in his power, while 
he had taken fifty or sixty prisoners. By and by, however, 
the news spread far and wide throughout the South. When 
noon came, several companies of State militia had arrived, 
and the little band was completely surrounded, though not 
taken. Shots were fired on both sides. All night the 



14 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1859. 

raiders held their ground, although before dark, Watson, 
one of Brown's sons, was killed. 

The valley was now too well guarded to permit the escape 
of Brown and his men. During the night another son was 
killed. Now they were prisoners, having taken refuge in the 
engine-house. On Tuesday morning a parley, or talk, was 
held : then, finding that Brown would not yield, the Virginians 
seized a ladder, with which they rushed upon the door of 
the engine-house, and all was over. 

Brown was struck in the face by a sabre, and he received 
several other wounds. 

Thus this poor, mistaken old man, as brave as a lion, yet 
as noble as a king, bleeding, but calm, was led out a prisoner. 
On that sad night Brown said to a gentleman who ques- 
tioned him, that he was glad his sons were dead, because 
they were slain in a good cause. 

Of course he was tried for treason, and condemned to 
die. This was done according to law ; for treason is mak- 
ing war upon the State, and the penalty is death. Brown 
was sentenced to be hanged, but he was kept in prison 
for a long time. Some of his friends wished him to say 
that he was not in his right mind, and therefore he did 
not know what he was doing. He scorned to do such a 
thing. He died on the scaffold, on the 2d of December. 
1859, gladly laying down his life for the cause he so dearly 
loved. 

On the morning of his death Brown left the jail with a 
firm step and a bright face. As he passed a colored woman 
with a little child in her arms, he kissed the infant. An- 
other negro woman who stood near said earnestly, "God 
bless you, old man ! I wish I could help you, but I 
can't." For the first time tears filled the old man's eyes. 
He felt that the colored people knew him to be their friend, 
and he was satisfied. 




THE SLAVE. 



1859.] The Reason Why, 



17 



So John Brown — so humble, so bold, so tender, and so 
brave — really began the civil, or home war ; because, after 
this, things never settled down to their former state. Much 
bitter feehng had been aroused which could not be 
smotliered. 



1 8 A Family Quarrel. [i860. 



CHAPTER 11. 

A FAMILY QUARREL. 

IN the autumn of i860 there were thirty-four sister States 
in the Union. 

Once in four years, as you know, a President is chosen 
by them to manage the affairs of this great family, as well 
as to protect its rights. 

The vote of all these States had been taken this year, as 
usual ; but, when Abraham Lincoln received the election to 
that office, the clamor which followed was any thing but 
sisterly. No sooner was the news sent over the telegraph- 
wires than South Carolina, always a Httle hot-tempered and 
wilful, flew into a rage. Every free State, excepting New 
Jersey, had given her voice for Mr. Lincoln ; and even she 
gave him more than half her votes. 

For a great many years, almost all the years of the 
Republic, the Southern States had exercised a powerful 
influence in the government. Now, for the first time, the 
Northern States claimed the right to express an opinion ; 
and South Carolina, for one, would not admit it, and so she 
declared herself out of the Union. 

The reason for this unhappy difference of opinion was 
very plain. The South wished, not only to hold slaves, 
which nobody expected to hinder, but, as we have already 
seen, she wished to extend the system of slavery to other 
States and Territories. 

Mr. Lincoln earnestly opposed the idea of making new 




PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 



i860.] a Family Quarrel. 21 

slave States, and he had not hesitated to say so. Indeed, 
when he was nominated, or chosen, for the Repubhcan can- 
didate for President, that opinion was one of the planks of 
the "platform," as politicians say, upon which he stood. 

South Carolina received the news of the election on the 
7th of November. Instead of mourning over the defeat of 
her own candidate, she broke forth into shouts of rejoicing ; 
for it gave her an excuse to do what she had long desired. 

Like a naughty child, that " won't play " unless it can al- 
ways have its own way, she took immediate steps to secede 
from the Union, and thus to become an independent State, 
flatly refusing to accept the decision of the polls. Charleston 
instantly presented a scene of the wildest excitement. Bells 
were rung ; speeches were made ; and bonfires glowed : even 
women paraded the streets, wearing secession colors and 
badges. Urged on by the governor, himself a hearty sece5> 
sionist, preparations were set on foot to withdraw without delay 

A State Convention was called, to meet at Columbia, the 
capital, on the i 7th of December, but, owing to a prevail- 
ing sickness there, it was changed to Charleston. Here 
was passed, in secret session, a formal Order of Secession. 
When it was afterward made known to the people, it was 
welcomed with every sign of joy. One who was present 
at that convention said, " This is a matter which has been 
gathering head for thirty years." 

And, as if it were not bad enough for South Carolina to 
behave in this manner, she sent urgent invitations to all her 
Southern sisters to join her. Somebody has aptly put in 
rhyme the feeling of the North at this time in regard to its 
wayward sister : — 

"O Carolina! sister, pray come back; 

Scorn not our flag, nor nightly talk of wars, 
Lest Uncle Sam, once fairly on your track, 

Should make you feel the stripes, and see the stars." 



22 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

The new year was only a month old when six other States 
had followed her bad example. Georgia, Alabama, Florida, 
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas had also declared them- 
selves free from the laws and government of the United 
States. Delegates were chosen from all these States to hold 
another convention in Montgomery, Ala., where, upon the 
8th of February, 1861, a new government was formed, much 
after the pattern of the old one, but which protected the 
growth of slavery, and which was named " The Confederate 
States of America." The word confederate means banded 
together. 

The next day Jefferson Davis was made President of this 
new Republic, and Alexander H. Stephens, Vice-President. 
We must, however, do Mr. Stephens the justice to say that 
he strongly opposed secession at first ; but when Georgia, 
his own beloved State of Georgia, withdrew from the Union, 
he could no longer hold out. And when the time came, he 
readily took the oath of his new office. Mr. Davis, in the 
first speech which he made after his election, urged the 
South to get ready for war, whether it should be necessary 
or not. 

At this time a " Peace Conference " was held in Wash- 
ington, in the hope of settling the difficulty in some way. 
Indeed, Congress had done very little all winter beside trying 
to patch up the quarrel between the North and the South, 
and yet had accomplished nothing. 

James Buchanan was President of the United States when 
these things occurred. Although he did not check the dis- 
contented sisters, he was not by any means a traitor. He 
was loyal to his country ; but naturally a timid man, and 
afraid of offending both North and South, he trusted too 
much to the advice and opinions of those around him. We 
call the chief advisers of the President his Cabinet, and each 
of the men of whom it is made up has a special kind of 



i860.] a Family Quarrel. 25 

duty to perform. The men at the head of the various 
branches of the national affairs during Mr. Buchanan's presi- 
dency were nearly all slaveholders, who naturally desired to 
assist their Southern friends in their plans. 

John B. Floyd was Secretary of War, whose business it was 
to keep the national troops, forts, and arsenals always ready 
for the defence of the Union. Instead of that, Mr. Floyd 
warmly sympathized with the South ; for he was himself a 
Virginian slaveholder. As discontent grew bolder, and the 
South began to whisper about war, he secretly sent large 
quantities of arms and ammunition from the North to South- 
ern forts and arsenals, and placed Southern men in charge 
of every thing. There is also an ugly story, that, for the 
purpose of assisting the seceding States, he was party to the 
misappropriation of a large amount of money belonging to 
the government. 

Mr. Howell Cobb was Secretary of the Treasury, or keeper 
of the national money-box. He was a slaveholder from 
Georgia : so you can easily guess that the mints, custom- 
houses, and post-offices south of " Mason and Dixon's line," 
were popped into the pocket of the Confederate States, with- 
out a word of complaint from Mr. Secretary of the Treasury. 

Mr. Toucey was Secretary of the Navy ; and, though a 
native of Connecticut, he was not much more loyal to the 
Union than the rest. He allowed the largest and best ships 
of our very small navy to be left in Southern waters, or to 
be sent so far away, that it would be impossible to use them 
if a sudden need occurred. He also allowed many officers 
of the navy to resign in order that they might be free to 
take up arms against the government. Mr. Toucey was 
publicly censured by the House of Representatives for this 
conduct. 

Mr. Buchanan was entreated by the friends of the Union 
to send supplies and re-enforcements to Fort Moultrie in 



26 Voting Folks ' History of the Civil War. [i86a 

Charleston harbor, and to Fort Pickens in Florida. The 
garrisons in these forts were especially threatened, and the 
necessity was urgent. 

But the President hesitated, and listened to the members 
of his cabinet, nearly all of whom advised him to delay, for 
fear of provoking the South. And he was glad of any excuse 
to put off the trouble that was sure to come. 

Floyd, Cobb, and Thompson (Secretary of the Interior, 
from Mississippi), all rebels at heart, argued and threatened 
and pleaded for more time, or pictured the danger of sending 
help just then to Charleston. 

On the other hand. General Lewis Cass, Secretary of State, 
implored the President not to delay one hour. The poor 
old man was nearly driven mad with such contradictory 
counsel. 

At length Mr. Buchanan told General Cass plainly that 
he would send no help to Charleston harbor, and Secretary 
Cass without delay gave up his position in the Cabinet. Mr. 
Cobb had resigned a few days before this, and returned to 
Georgia to assist in the work of secession at home. He 
was afterward made an officer in the Confederate army. 

While these things were taking place in Washington, 
Major Robert Anderson, with a very small garrison, held 
Fort Moultrie in Charleston harbor. It was really of little 
use as a fort for their protection, should occasion for defence 
arise. 

Well persuaded that a storm was brewing which would 
burst in fury before long. Major Anderson made up his 
mind to change his quarters without waiting for orders. 
Therefore, on the night before Christmas, this little band 
of loyal men very quietly pushed off in boats, rowing directly 
to Fort Sumter. The night was lovely, and in the moon- 
light Sumter looked like a huge rock rising out of the sea. 
Its position, lying in the mouth of the harbor, was excellent. 



i86o.i A Family Quarrel. 27 

It was built of brick, and was thought to be very strong, be- 
ing furnished with three rows of guns, — two in casemates, 
and one en barbette, or on the top of the ramparts. The 
removal was effected so cautiously that it might have been 
made in daylight without exciting much suspicion. Besides, 
there were armies of workmen constantly going back and 
forth, who were engaged in repairing the fort, for whom 
they might have been mistaken. Major Anderson had been 
pushing the work here for several months ; and the rebels 
were only waiting for it to be ready 
in order to seize, and occupy it 
themselves. 

As the rebels would of course 
take immediate possession of Fort 
Moultrie when its garrison was gone, 
good care was had to carry away all 
that could be removed, — such as 
small-arms, ammunition, and stores, 

— and to destroy every thing else. Guns were spiked, the 
flagstaff cut down, and gun-carriages burned. 

At noon on the following day Major Anderson gathered 
his company around him. Taking the cords of the Union 
flag in his hand, they all knelt at the flagstaff", and asked 
the blessing of God upon them in that trying hour. The 
hearty " Amen ! " which answered showed that they were 
in earnest. Then, while the band played " Hail Columbia," 
the flag was run up, and the soldiers cheered. 

It need not be told that Secretary Floyd was furious when 
he found this out ; and President Buchanan, even, was far 
from pleased with Major Anderson's conduct. 

When Mr. Floyd placed Major Anderson in Charleston 
harbor, it is thought that he made the mistake of supposing 
that the Major was disloyal, because he was a Southern man. 
Happily, in this as well as in many other cases, the rule failed 




2S Yottng Folks' History of the Civil War. [i860. 

to hold good, as we shall see ; for Robert Anderson was one 
of many true patriots. 

About this time South Carolina sent Commissioners, or 
State-messengers, to the President for the purpose of asking 
that the United-States troops should be removed from the 
harbor of Charleston, as well as to treat for the deliverance 
of all government property in the State. This was indeed 
a bold act. But, while the President was trying to decide 
what to do, the news came, that, immediately after Major 
Anderson's movement. South Carolina had seized Fort 
Moultrie, and another fort called Castle Pinckney, the cus- 
tom-house, post-office, and arsenal, belonging, of course, to 
the United States. Over them all had been unfurled the 
Palmetto State flag. Now the question was an easy one to 
settle. The President refused to receive the Commissioners 
officially, and replied tliat he could not give them what they 
asked. 

This brought matters to such a crisis, that Mr. Floyd could 
do no less than resign. Mr. Buchanan must have drawn 
a sigh of relief to get rid of a man who had worried him 
so long. Joseph Holt, of Kentucky, was given the place of 
Secretary of War, made vacant by Mr. Floyd. Soon Secre- 
tary Thompson gave up his place, because the President 
decided to send relief, even at this late hour, to the loyal 
forts at the South. He took the trouble, however, before 
he finished his own preparations to go, to inform Governor 
Pickens by telegraph, that aid was coming. 

Such was the state of things at the close of i860, — plots 
and conspiracies everywhere, with the almost certain pros- 
pect of a civil war. 

The newspapers advised, and scolded, and suggested 
ways ; but it was all lost on the President. " Vanity Fair " 
tells the story of that time in this funny way : — 



i86o-6i.] A Family Quarrel. 3 1 

" Sing a song of Sumter, 
A fort in Charleston Bay: 
Eight and sixty brave men 
Watch there night and day. 

Those brave men to succor 

Still no aid is sent : 
Isn't James Buchanan 

A pretty President ! 

James is in his cabinet, 

Doubting and debating ; 
Anderson, in Sumter, 

Very tired of waiting. 

Pickens ^ is in Charleston, 

Blustering of blows ; 
Thank goodness ! March the fourth is near, 

To nip Secession's nose." 

We have seen that the President had been completely 
under the influence of men who were opposed to the Union. 
Now, however, these honest gentlemen having completed 
their work and departed, he could once more think for 
himself. 

He consented to give " aid and comfort " to Major Ander- 
son under a well-ordered scheme of his present Cabinet. 
The steamer Star of the West, a merchant-ship, was char- 
tered, and loaded with provisions and soldiers, and steamed 
out of New York on the 5th of January, bound for Sumter. 
But we know, that, through the kindness of Secretary Thomp- 
son, she was expected. All this time the authorities of South 
Carohna had been very busy. Fort Moultrie had been re- 
paired, and other batteries planted in position to play upon 
Sumter. So when the Star of the West came within range of 
these guns, they opened fire upon her ; yet she kept on her 
course, with the " Stars and Stripes " flying. At last the shots 

* Governor of South Carolina. 



32 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

were too frequent and too heavy to be risked any longer : 
so she put out to sea again, and was soon lost to sight ; and 
with her the hope of relief faded from the eyes of the brave 
little company at Sumter. 

When there was, therefore, no longer any question whether 
sooner or later Fort Sumter would be attacked, it was thought 
best to remove the women and children to safer quarters. 
Consent was easily obtained from Governor Pickens, and 
they were taken to Charleston in order to secure passage 
on a steamer bound for New York. Fort Sumter lies nearly 
in the centre of Charleston harbor, you know. To reach the 
open sea, the Marion, which carried the soldiers' families, 
must pass very close to it. It was Sunday morning. Nearer 
and nearer came the little steamer bearing such precious 
freight. Sadly the women gazed at the fort which had so 
lately been home to them. 

Through wet eyes they saw the little garrison drawn up 
on the ramparts, — whether to meet these loved ones in life, 
who could tell ? Just as the Marion passed the fort, a gun 
was fired ; and " three heart-thrilling cheers " were given by 
that heroic company cut off from friends, and surrounded by 
enemies. Tears and sobs, and white handkerchiefs waved 
in farewell, were the only answer. But it did not make the 
parting easier to bear to know that five deadly batteries, 
ready to open at any moment, were pointing their guns 
directly toward Fort Sumter. 



i860.] a Spark in a Powder- Magazine. 33 



CHAPTER III. 

A SPARK IN A POWDER-MAGAZINE. 

IN the mean time Mr. Lincoln had left his home in Spring- 
field, 111., for Washington. The journey was made in a 
private or special car, in the company of a few of his friends. 
The party took plenty of time, stopping at all the cities through 
which they passed ; and the President-elect received a royal 
welcome everywhere. His speeches to the people were 
temperate and straightforward. 

All along the route, whether the trains stopped or not, he 
was greeted by the sound of booming guns, by the waving of 
hats, and the flutter of handkerchiefs ; while hearty cries from 
the throngs that crowded every platform told him of the 
good-will of the people. This must have been very encour- 
aging to a man who was nearing his inauguration under such 
trying circumstances. 

Mr. Lincoln had been invited to honor Philadelphia with 
a visit, upon the occasion of the celebration of Washington's 
birthday. This he readily accepted ; and he raised the 
American flag, which is so dear to every loyal heart, over 
Independence Hall. It was here that the Declaration 
of Independence was signed nearly one hundred years 
before. 

The next visit was paid to Harrisburg, where a rumor 
reached the ears of Mr. Lincoln's friends, that a plot was laid 
to assassinate him the following day, as he should pass through 
Baltimore. So sure were they that their information was 



34 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [i860. 

trustworthy, that they urged him to hurry to Washington 
without stopping anywhere. Mr. Lincohi was not a bit of 
a coward, and he was therefore naturally very unwilling ta 
change his plans ; but, always willing to yield unimportant 
points, he gave way to the wishes of the gentlemen who 
escorted him. Taking a night-train therefore, like any other 
passenger, instead of waiting until morning, as had been 
intended, he went straight to Washington. This was wise, 
of course ; but many of his warm friends in Baltimore were 
rather hurt by it. 

Still, the nation could afford to take no risks at this point 
in its history ; and the visit to Baltimore was put off till 
another time. 

When the 4th of March had come, there were two gov- 
ernments, all officered, within the boundary of the United 
States. No doubt President Buchanan gladly left the chair 
of State, where he had sat so uneasily ; but one would think 
that Mr. Lincoln would shrink from occupying it. The out- 
look was indeed a stormy one. 

Just as the blacksmith makes iron tough and strong by 
heat and heavy blows, so Abraham Lincoln's character had 
been developed by poverty and hardships. 

He was born in Kentucky. His father was very poor, and 
the boy had never even heard of luxuries. He had scarcely 
the necessities of life, but he was never known to complain 
of his hard lot : perhaps he never thought about his own 
wants at all. He used to work all day, and at night he would 
read borrowed books by firelight. W1ien his name came 
before the nation as a candidate for its highest honor, he was 
called the " Rail-splitter." This was because he helped his 
father to split the rails with which to fence the farm after 
the family removed to Illinois. 

But neither Mr. Lincoln nor his party was ashamed of the 
name, or of the reason for it. His whole life had been free 




LINCOLN AS A RAIL-SPLITTER. 



i86i.] 



A Spark in a Pozvdcr-Magazine. 



37 



from vice. He even " shunned the appearance of evil," as, 
step by step, he rose through his own industry to the highest 
place that an American can desire. Just now it seemed 
providential that such a man should be chosen to fill this 
office, when wisdom and firmness and patience were so much 
needed to untangle the political snarl. 

As you already know, South Carolina had seceded from 
the Union in December, i860, soon after Mr. Lincoln was 




A VOLUNTEER DRUM-CORPS. 



elected ; and the Confederacy was formed early in the year 
of 1861. 

On the 4th of March in that year, Mr. Lincoln was inau- 
gurated. This means that he stood at the head of the steps 
on the east front of the Capitol at Washington, in the pres- 
ence of thousands of people, and, lifting up his right hand 
toward Heaven, he took the oath of allegiance to the 
Government and the Laws. 

An oath is a solemn promise, which God is called upon to 
hear ; and he who makes it asks God's help in keeping it, 
calling upon Him to punish, if it should be broken. Now 
you see what a fearful thing it was for the trusted servants 



38 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

of the Government, both in civil and mihtary offices, to 
betray their country after having taken the oath of loyalty ; 
for every person who holds such office must take it. 

Well, Mr. Lincoln made an address before he received 
his oath of office, as it is called, telling the people what he 
meant to do. He promised to see that the laws were obeyed, 
and that no blood should be shed except in the defence of 
those laws, if it should become necessary. There is one 
clause in this speech which shows that the new President 
was well aware of his position : — 

"/« your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-conn try fnen, and 
not in mine,^^ he said, '^ is the momentous issue of civil war. 
The Government 7vill not assail you. You can have no con- 
flict, without being yourselves the aggressors. You have ?io 
oath registered in Heaven to destroy the Government ; while 
I shall have the most solemn one to ^preserve, protect, and 
defend it:'' 

A few weeks after the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln, the 
whole world was startled by the news that the rebels had 
fired upon Fort Sumter. 

As we have already seen, while President Buchanan was 
'' doubting and debating," the Confederates had built bat- 
teries around Sumter in every direction, and had assembled 
a large force in Charleston, under the command of General 
Beauregard. 

As soon as Mr. Lincoln had authority to do so, after he 
came to his office, he gathered his Cabinet to consult about 
the best means of sending relief to Major Anderson at Fort 
Sumter, and to Lieutenant Slemmer at Fort Pickens, both 
of whom were in sore distress. The names of Mr. Lincoln's 
cabinet were : — 

William H. Seward, Secretary of State ; Salmon P. Chase, 
Secretary of the Treasury ; Simon Cameron, Secretary of 
War ; Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy ; Caleb B. 



i86r.] A Spark in a Powder-Magazine. 39 

Smith, Secretary of the Interior ; Edward Bates, Attorney- 
general ; Montgomery Blair, Postmaster-general. 

The last two were Southern men ; but there was no slave- 
holder in the Cabinet, — a thing which had never happened 
before since the formation of the Government. 

It was finally decided to fit out an expedition under Cap- 
tain Fox, which should carry '•' provision only " to Sumter ; 
and Mr. Lincoln sent a messenger to Governor Pickens to 
declare this intention. Immediately upon receiving this com- 
munication, the Confederates determined to attack Sumter 
without delay, in case Major Anderson should refuse to sur- 
render peaceably. Therefore, on the nth of April, General 
Beauregard notified Major xA.nderson that he must leave Fort 
Sumter at once. In reply. Major Anderson said, that, if he 
did not receive instructions or supplies from his Government 
by the 15th, he would withdraw his command. This answer 
showed plainly that he expected relief, and the rebels did not 
choose to wait for it. Other messages were exchanged, but 
General Beauregard was not satisfied with the answers to his 
demands. 

All that night the bells of Charleston rang loudly and fast. 
As the sound drifted across the harbor to the litde band of 
loyal men in the threatened fort, they knew it boded no 
good to them. 

In the morning very early, there came word that General 
Beauregard would bombard the fort in one hour if not sur- 
rendered. What did it matter to heroes like these? They 
were doing their duty, and they were ready for the conse- 
quences. Had they not asked God to bless their cause, and 
to protect them? 

The Confederates had meant to starve this little garrison 
out ; but, with the possibility of help very near, force must 
be resorted to. General Beauregard was in earnest. With 
the ''first gray streak of the morning " on the 12th of April, 



40 Yojiiig Folks' HistoQf of the Civil War. [isei. 

the first shot was fired in the battle which lasted for four 
years. 

It may be of interest to know that the man who begged 
the privilege of opening the civil or home war, was an old 
Virginian named Edmund Ruffin. His whole heart was 
with the Confederacy, and when he knew that its cause 
was lost he took his life with his own hand. 

One big shell came crashing into the fort, then another 
and another, until all the batteries which had been built 
for that purpose were turned upon it. The reply was very 
faint at first. As usual, the soldiers in Sumter prepared and 
ate breakfast. They knew that no amount of cannonading, 
with so few men at such a disadvantage, could defend the 
fort against such odds. All day the assault continued, and 
all day the poor fellows returned the fire. Very often the 
barracks, where the soldiers lived, took fire. Their stock of 
ammunition was getting low. About noon three ships ap- 
peared. "These must bring the long-looked-for relief," they 
thought, as they eagerly watched them through the loop-holes. 

" Yes, they bear the Stars and Stripes ! Now they are dip- 
ping the flag for a signal," somebody cried. And, although 
shot and shell were flying about the parade-ground where 
the flagstaff stood, plenty of men were glad to risk the 
danger, for the pleasure of lowering its folds in reply. But 
the rebels were watching too, and they had no idea of let- 
ting these strangers pass their batteries. By a misfortune 
the little fleet had become separated ; and these three ves- 
sels were not able, alone, to force their way to the friends 
who were in such bitter need of aid. So, with relief at the 
very door, the brave band at Sumter suffered the disappoint- 
ment of seeing these '' three ships go sailing by," although 
they were "so richly laden with good things " for them. 

At night the firing from the rebels grew less frequent, and 
from Sumter it ceased altogether. 



i86i.j A Spark in a Powder- Magazine. 41 

The next morning, however, the bombardment began 
again with redoubled fury. The suffering to the garrison 
during those thirty-four hours can scarcely be imagined. 
The heat of the sun, together with the glow of the burning 
buildings, became intolerable. 

When Mrs. Anderson paid a visit to her husband in Sum- 
ter, before the bombardment, she was accompanied by Peter 
Hart, '' an officer of the twentieth ward in New-York City." 
He was a tried and faithful friend of Major Anderson, and 
begged to be allowed to remain with his old commander. 
He was at length given permission to stay, provided that he 
would promise not to fight. This promise he kept ; but, 
when the fort was on fire, he devoted his whole strength to 
putting it out, saying, " I did not promise not to fight y^;r." 

It was impossible to use to any advantage the few guns 
which still remained in working order. Now and then, just 
by way of an emphatic " no," a few shots were returned. 

A great deal of gunpowder had to be rolled into the sea 
to avoid the danger of explosion. 

At noon of the second day the flagstaff was shot away. 
This would never do. Peter Hart had Another chance to 
save his country without fighting ; so he rushed through the 
clouds of smoke, and the hail of shot, and brought the flag 
away, planting it upon the ramparts, while Major Anderson 
and his soldiers cheered. But at last the end came. When 
the fort was in ruins, a messenger, Mr. Wigfall, who had but 
lately been a United States senator, arrived, bearing a white 
flag, which is called " a flag of truce," and which always pro- 
tects its bearer. Mr. Wigfall brought word from General 
Beauregard that Major Anderson was at liberty to choose his 
own terms of evacuation, and that neither he nor his men 
should be molested. We say a place is evacuated when a 
force is withdrawn from it. As there was no food left, but 
three cartridges, and no roof to shelter his men, the only 



42 Young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

thing for Major Anderson to do was to accept General 
Beauregard's offer. 

An officer gives up his sword when he surrenders ; but Gen- 
eral Beauregard returned Major Anderson's sword, saying, 
" I am happy to return the sword of so brave an officer." 
After a fervent prayer and a salute of fifty guns, the national 
flag was hauled down, and the brave defenders of Fort Sum- 
ter marched out of it with the honors of war. With flag 
flying, and drum beating, one would fancy them conquerors, 
rather than the conquered. That day the names of that 




STEAM-FRIGATE. 



heroic little band were written in the history of our country, 
which men shall read with thrilling hearts for many a day to 
come. 

Outside the harbor, the steamship Baltic was lying ; and 
to her the Isabel carried them in safety. 

She sailed immediately for New York, with the flag of 
Sumter flying at her peak. Once there, Major Anderson, 
and those who had stood by him, received a cordial welcome. 

It was very remarkable that not one was killed or wounded 
on either side during the battle of those two dreadful days. 




PLANTING THE FLAG ON THE RAMPARTS. 



i86i.] A Spark hi a Powder- Magazine. 45 

One man was accidentally killed at Sumter by the bursting 
of a gun, which might have happened at any time ; and by 
the explosion of a pile of cartridges several were wounded. 

A few days after the battle, some gentlemen visiting the 
ruined fort found a newly made grave in the parade-grounds, 
on which was placed the rude inscription : — 

" DANIEL HOWE, 

DIED APRIL 4, 1861." 

This was the poor fellow who was killed by the explosion 
of a gun in saluting the flag. 

In Charleston the people were almost insane with joy 
over this empty victory. How brave the Confederates had 
been ! What a glorious triumph ! "Seven thousand fearless 
Confederates with seventy-five cannon had routed eighty- 
five men who had grown lean with hunger, and out of whose 
guns one might as well have thrown pills." P'or three days 
this dangerous enemy whom the rebels had put to flight 
had been feasting upon pork and water, flour having been 
gone since the day before the bombardment. 

This success, no doubt, proved to the rebels that the Con- 
federacy was far more powerful than the Union which they 
had so lately deserted. Now they thought their troubles all 
over. Bonfires, cannon, bells, and shouts mingled in the 
general uproar. The roofs of houses were covered with 
spectators of the fight. The streets were thronged with ex- 
cited men and women wearing the secession badges, and 
talking treason against the United States. 

Nevertheless, this first success in arms for the Confeder- 
acy had a strong influence in another way. Several States 
in sympathy with the Rebellion, that had been timid until 
now, came out boldly, and joined the seceders. 

Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas also 



46 Young Folks' Histo^> of the Civil War. [1861. 

left the Union, and helped to swell the number. The Con- 
federates now mustered eleven States. 

While these events were taking place in Charleston harbor, 
Lieutenant Slemmer of the regular army had followed Major 
Anderson's example. The navy-yard at Pensacola, Fla., 
had been given up by its commandant ; and the neighboring 
garrison at Fort Barrancas was held by a little band of forty- 
six men under Lieutenant A. J. Slemmer. 

Threatened by foes in every direction, he determined to 
change his position ; and, being joined by thirty sailors from 
the navy-yard, he removed his company to Fort Pickens 
about a fortnight after Major Anderson left Fort Moultrie. 
Fort Pickens was situated in the mouth of Pensacola Bay, on 
Santa Rosa Island ; and it was much easier to defend than 
Fort Barrancas. Ships, carrying provisions and troops, were 
sent to relieve Lieutenant Slemmer, at the same time with 
the expedition to Sumter, and luckily they arrived safely. 
So, when a Confederate volunteer force besieged him, he 
was prepared to defend himself. 

But anxiety and privation and fatigue, which Lieutenant 
Slemmer and his men had borne so long, left them ill, and 
unfit for duty. They were therefore given a furlough, or 
leave of absence, and were allowed to return to the North, 
while Captain Brown, not less fearless, assumed command 
at Fort Pickens. 

Now look on your map, to the left, across the Gulf of 
Mexico, to Texas. Here we find a commander of a very 
different kind. General Twiggs, military chief of the depart- 
ment of Texas, under the United States, betrayed his entire 
army and all the Government forts, arsenals, and arms, into 
the hands of the rebels, without a struggle. This happened 
about the middle of February ; and it was considered such 
unpardonable treachery, that General Twiggs was " dishonor- 
ably dismissed " from the service, on the ist of March. 



i86i.i A Call for Help. 47 



CHAPTER IV. 

A CALL FOR HELP. 

AFFAIRS had now taken a serious turn. You remem- 
ber that Sumter was surrendered on Sunday the 14th 
of April. 

In the newspapers the next mornmg, milhons of eager, 
anxious citizens, read the thrilhng story, and were grieved 
and indignant. But in another column, with staring head- 
lines to attract attention, there came a despatch which pro- 
duced a very different feeling. 

The President called for seventy-five thousand men to 
take arms in defence of the Union. Not only had the 
national flag been insulted, the Capital was already threat- 
ened. The Confederacy had laid its plans well. For a long 
time it had been whispered that Washington was in danger : 
information was now received, which proved that instant 
measures must be taken to defend the city. 

A large force was to overpower the small guard at Har- 
per's Ferry, — just as John Brown had done, — to seize these 
very guns, and under cover of the night to go down the 
Potomac, and surprise the Capital. This could be done with 
the greatest ease, because the Confederacy still had many 
friends in Washington whose aid was looked for. Hand in 
hand with the movement upon Washington, it was agreed 
to stop any troops that might be sent from the North, as 
they passed through Baltimore. So the story ran. Gen- 
eral Winfield Scott was commander-in-chief of the army, 



48 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. \\*n\, 

under the President. Although he was an old man, and 
a Virginian, he was both loyal and prompt, as we shall 
see. 

On the occasion of Mr. Lincoln's inauguration, General 
Scott had assembled a considerable military force in Wash- 
ington to prevent trouble, and he had wisely kept a large 
proportion there for the same purpose. As soon as Sumter 
was surrendered. President Lincoln and General Scott began 
to prepare for the " surprise party " 
which the rebels intended for them. 
Mr. Lincoln telegraphed to the 
governor of every State in the 
Union that he needed soldiers to 
defend the country against her 
own children. How do you think 
loyal people treated this cry for 
help ? Do you suppose they asked 
for time to think about it? Not 
they. They answered the first 

GENERAL SCOTT. 

tmie. 

All party feeling was wiped out. There were no longer 
Democrats and Republicans. Everybody became a Union- 
ist or a Secessionist. There was no half-way ground. Those 
who were not for the Union were against it, and such peo- 
ple were not very comfortable at the North. Not only did 
seventy-five thousand men rush to arms, and hurry to the 
rescue ; but in twenty-four hours one hundred and fifty thou- 
sand were ready and eager to go. Many received the mes- 
sage at night, and were on the way to the Capital in the 
morning. We call these soldiers volunteers, because they 
offered their services to the Government, instead of being 
ordered to go, like regular soldiers. 

You know that every town or city has one military com- 
pany, and often several, which are made up of business 




i86i.] A Call for Help. 51 

men who drill for amusement and exercise. Of course, 
these were the first to go, as they were all ready, being 
armed and uniformed. 

Besides the volunteer soldiers, there was a regular or stand- 
ing army, paid by the Government, whose duty it was to 
fight whenever it was needed. But we had been at peace 
for so many years, that this force had grown to be very small. 
Then, too, we must remember that the greater part of this 
army was stationed in the West to defend the frontier, or 
farthest settlements, against the Indians. It would require 
time to bring these troops East, and it was not safe to with- 
draw them from their present position. Nearly all the offi- 
cers in the Confederacy had been officers in the army 
of the United States when South Carolina seceded. They 
forgot who had fed and reared them, forgot their oath of 
loyalty, and deserted their country to take up arms against 
her^ 

Perhaps you will the better understand how grave a step 
this was, when you read the oath which they had taken : — 

" I do solemnly swear that I will bear true allegiance to the United 
States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully 
against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and observe and 
obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders 
of the officers appointed over me according to the rules and articles of 
the government of the armies of the United States." 

I have told you all this, that you may be able to see why 
things were in such a tangle, and why we were not ready to 
go to war. 

Every Northern State sent its quota, or proportion, of 
volunteers, in a twinkling : but many Southern States returned 
very impertinent answers to the President ; while a few were 
hesitating, or, as they called themselves, "neutral;" which 
means, literally, taking no part in a quarrel. 

The District of Columbia, in which the city of Washing 



52 Yomig Folks' History of the Civil War. [isei. 

ton lies, is on the left bank of the Potomac River, and is 
only ten miles square. Slaves were owned in this district ; 
and excepting that it was not represented in Congress, and 
that its people were not allowed to vote for any officer of 
the General Government, it was like any Southern State. 
This was unfortunate, because its natural sympathy with 
the slaveholding States made it a very dangerous neighbor- 
hood for the threatened Capital. It was impossible to be 
sure of friend or foe in those dark days ; and loyal Unionists 
began to feel that the safety of the city depended upon 
themselves alone. So they managed quietly to arrange for a 
secret meeting to be held on that Saturday night, April 14, 
in an old church in the rear of VVillard's Hotel, to talk the 
matter over, and to fix upon some plan of concerted action 
for the city's safety. These gentlemen, among whom were 
some very distinguished men, took care that no surprise 
should occur ; for they themselves patrolled the streets pntil 
the city was furnished with a military force sufficient to 
protect it. 

So prompt were volunteers to answer the President's call, 
that, as early as Monday night, several Pennsylvania compa- 
nies had already arrived. If you will look at your map, you 
will see that only a few hours were necessary to reach Wash- 
ington, from that State. 

General Scott quartered soldiers in the East Room of 
the White House, where for many weeks they remained for 
the safety and defence of the President. The Capitol and 
the Treasury Building were barricaded, and cannon were 
placed inside. The gay city of Washington soon presented 
a most warlike appearance. 

The very first full regiment to respond to the call to arms, 
was the Massachusetts Sixth, one thousand strong. It ar- 
rived in Baltimore on Friday, at noon, at about the same 
time with several companies of Pennsylvania volunteers. In 



iS6i. 



A Call for Help. 



53 



those days the cars were drawn from one station to another 
through the city by horses, instead of engines. 

The train bringing the Massachusetts Sixth was a long 
one, and several cars were allowed to pass unmolested. An 




THROUGH BALTIMORE. 



angry crowd had quickly gathered, however ; and it began 
attacking the rear of the train, growing more savage each 
moment. Sand, stones, and bricks were used to pelt the 
unoffending soldiers. As the colonel and his staff were in 
the first car, they did not know of the riot that was in 
progress ; and thus there was no one at hand to give orders. 



54 Yo7ing Folks' History of tJie Civil War. [1861. 

At last the men made up their minds that a march of two 
miles would be better than waiting, for the track before 
them had been obstructed by rails and stones. Under the 
command of Captain Follansbee they formed, and pressed 
their way toward the Washington station, followed by a howl- 
ing mob. Before long the mayor came out to them, and 
walked in front ; but this was only a partial protection. 
Afterward Marshal Kane, the chief of the police force of 
Baltimore, arrived with a squad of policemen, who placed 
themselves between the rioters and soldiers. This served 
to diminish the danger of the march ; but, notwithstanding 
the efforts of the city authorities, three men were killed and 
several wounded before the Massachusetts Sixth reached 
the Washington station. The remaining Philadelphia troops 
were also attacked in a similar way ; but Marshal Kane per 
suaded them to return to Philadelphia for the present, with- 
out risking the danger of crossing the city in the alarming 
state of public feeling. Before the next morning several 
railroad-bridges had been burned in the neighborhood of 
Baltimore by these very rioters, encouraged to do so by the 
authorities. This was done to prevent other troops from 
passing through the city. 

Virginia went through the formality of secession, on the 
1 7th of April. The next day Governor Letcher pushed his 
State troops toward Harper's Ferry. General Scott had wished 
to place a strong guard at that point ; but, unfortunately, not 
one company could be spared. When Lieutenant Jones, 
who was in command, heard that the rebels were so near, he 
set fire to the government buildings, and with his few men 
retreated into Pennsylvania. Of course, he destroyed this 
property to keep it from falling into the hands of the Con- 
federates, as he had no way of protecting it. Although the 
loss was great, a large part of the machinery and stores was 
saved. The rebels soon congregated here in great numbers, 



i86i.] A Call for Help, 55 

and it was supposed that they intended attacking Washington 
whenever they should be strong enough. 

Misfortunes seemed to pursue the Unionists ; for, the day 
following the capture of Harper's Ferry, another disaster 
occurred. The number of ships in the United States navy 
had become very small, for the same reason that the army had 
decreased, — we had been a peaceful nation so long. Only 
think, from one end of our wide seacoast to the other, there 
were but ninety men-of-war to protect it from outside ene- 
mies. One-ninth of this whole number had in some way 
gotten into Gosport navy-yard, at Norfolk, Va. ; and these 
happened to be some of the best. Besides the ships, there 
were about two thousand cannon, and large quantities of 
ammunition and military stores, — such as small-arms, swords, 
and every thing that is used in a fort. All this was worth 
more than two millions of dollars. The officer under whose 
charge the navy-yard was placed was no longer young, which, 
perhaps, accounts for the tardiness with which he obeyed 
orders. He was directed to put the Gosport navy-yard in 
a state of defence, which he could easily have done if he 
had not been so slow. Governor Letcher, suspecting that 
the valuable ships and ammunition would soon be with- 
drawn, sank small vessels in the channel in order to ob- 
struct it. Since the commandant did not promptly obey 
his orders. Captain Paulding was sent to see that the work 
was done. He found that all the ships had been actually 
scuttled, excepting the Cumberland, which had been saved 
to carry away his command. To scuttle a ship, is to bore 
holes in its bottom and sides, so that water may come in 
and sink it. 

Captain Paulding brought with him men enough to defend 
the navy-yard against an attack, but he found himself too 
late. So he immediately put every thing which was mov- 
able, such as side-arms, revolvers, ammunition, and stores, 



56 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

• 
on board the Pawnee, and destroyed all that he could not 

carry away. The last thing that was done was to lay a train 
of powder to the barracks and to the ships, as well as to the 
magnificent dry-dock. Scarcely had the Pawnee got out into 
the river, when a rocket was sent up, followed by a terrific 
crash. It was the explosion of the powder-trains, and the dis- 
charge of the guns on the burning ships. Never were such 
fireworks seen before. The Pawnee, which had brought Cap- 
tain Paulding to the navy-yard, soon towed the Cumber- 
land away by the red light of the burning ships. But as 
at Harper's Ferry, although Gosport navy-yard had been 
destroyed to save it from the rebels, the work of ruin had 
not been half done. As soon as the flames had burned low, 
the Confederates hurried in, and undid nearly all the harm 
which had been done. By nine o'clock the next morning 
many of the disabled cannon were ready to fire at any one 
who might object to the Confederate possession of the fort- 
ress. 

There is a story, that the famous dry-dock was saved by 
a little rebel boy. Unobserved, he had watched the prepa- 
rations to destroy it. He knew, no doubt, that it was very 
valuable to the Confederacy. The train of powder which was 
to be lighted was laid along a row of planks ; and, when the 
Unionists had left the yard, he turned a plank over, cutting 
off the line of powder, and preventing an explosion. The 
steam frigate Merrimac was afterward raised by the rebels, 
and made over into an iron-clad war vessel called the Vir- 
ginia. 

When General Benjamin F. Butler, in command of the Mas- 
sachusetts Eighth Regiment, arrived with his troops at the 
Susquehanna River, he learned that all the bridges around 
Baltimore had been burned. So he seized a ferry-boat, and 
went by water to Annapolis, thus going around Baltimore. 
There is a naval school at Annapolis, where boys are taught 



i86i.] ■ A Call for Help. 57 

every thing necessary for a seaman to know. The old 
United States frigate Constitution — " Old Ironsides " she 
was often called — was used for a training-ship for this 
school. 

General Butler found out that the rebels meant to take 
possession of her, and he determined to save her from such 
an inglorious fate. So he drew his regiment up in line ; and, 
after the necessary explanation, he said, " Boys, is there any 
one among you who can sail her?" And more than fifty 
men stepped out of the ranks, who were able seamen, one 
of whom was the son of the builder. 

The Constitution was built in 1797. First manned by 
a Massachusetts man, after all the heroic deeds she had 
taken part in, it seemed only fair that a Massachusetts man 
should have the chance of saving her to do the first work 
for the Union in the civil war. For four days her officers 
and crew stood by their guns ; and it was only with great 
difficulty, and by constant watchfulness, that she was gotten 
over the bar, and towed around to New York. As we shall 
not have occasion to speak of this good ship again, perhaps 
you would like to know what became of her. She was " put 
out of commission " only very lately, having been in service 
eighty-four years. She had been pronounced unseaworthy 
years before ; and the navy department had decided to 
"break her up," when Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote 
a stirring bit of poetry about it, which roused the whole 
nation to protest against it, and the idea was given up. 

On the 15th of December, 1881, however, she was towed 
from her dock in the New- York navy-yard to the Brooklyn 
navy-yard, where she was officially abandoned. It was a sad 
sight to see, almost like the burial of a good old friend. 
All the officers of the naval station, as well as many private 
citizens, were present, and watched in tearful silence the 
national flag, as it was hauled down for the last time. 



58 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 
• 

Now that General Butler had gotten the Constitution into 
loyal hands, he set off with his command for Washington, in 
company with the famous New York Seventh, under Colonel 
Lefferts. In many places the railroad-track had been torn 
up. Engines had been disabled and bridges burned. On 
the way, General Buder needed a skilled workman to assist in 
repairing a locomotive. A bright Yankee immediately offered 
his services. Picking up some plate or screw belonging to 
the locomotive to examine it, his eyes brightened ; and he 
said quietly, " I guess I can fix that engine, for I helped to 
make it." 

Of stuff like this the Union army was made. Well, the 
New York Seventh found a train waiting, when, after a 
hungry journey, half marching, half by rail, they reached 
Annapolis Junction. In a little while they were aboard ; 
and they soon found themselves in Washington, receiving 
hearty welcome and congratulations on all sides. Other 
regiments kept pouring in from day to day, till, at the end 
of April, not less than fifty thousand men held the line of 
the Potomac, and guarded the Capital. 

Who knows what a pirate is?. Perhaps you will be sur- 
prised to hear that the President of the Confederacy gave 
pirates the right to do business under the protection of the 
" Stars and Bars." This was called giving " letters of marque 
and reprisal." In plain English, it was an act to license 
robbery on the high seas, which was no better than highway 
robbery anywhere else. 

In his proclamation, Mr. Davis invited "all those who 
may desire " to fit out privateers under the seal of the Con- 
federate States, for the purpose of preying upon merchant- 
ships carrying the national flag. This was very tempting to 
adventurers ; for, of course, those who captured a " prize," as 
it was called, received a good share of the value when the 
ship and its cargo were sold. At the end of May, in the 



i86i.] A Call for Help. 6i 

port of New Orleans alone, there were twenty prize-ships ; 
and other seaports had their share of spoils also. 

In return for Mr. Davis's neighborly action, Mr. Lincoln 
immediately ordered the blockade of every port on the 
coast of the seceding States. Men-of-war were so placed 
as to command the harbors, and thus prevent all commerce 
with foreign nations. Cotton, sugar, and tobacco were the 
chief products upon which the Southern States depended for 
an income. When, therefore, there was no longer any way 
to exchange these for other goods, their case would become 
desperate indeed ; for there were no manufactories within 
the borders of the Confederacy. They needed arms, am- 
munition, clothing, and all kinds of provisions ; while the 
blockade was intended to keep their ships from going out to 
get such supplies. 

As fast as possible, the nationals armed and fitted up 
merchant-vessels to serve as blockaders, in order to relieve 
men-of-war for other duty. In Charleston harbor a stone 
blockade was also employed. Yet, notwithstanding all the 
dangers which must be risked, a great many vessels of all 
kinds did get in and out of the blockaded ports without 
accident or detection, and they were therefore called " block- 
ade-runners." A daring little schooner named the Savan- 
nah, carrying only one gun, stole out of Charleston harbor, 
and put to sea to watch for a prize. She had not long to 
wait ; for the very next day she seized the brig Joseph, 
loaded with sugar for Philadelphia. The privateer put an 
armed crew on the Joseph ; and then, elated by her suc- 
cess, she devoted herself to looking for more prizes. About 
five o'clock that afternoon another brig came in sight. Away 
went the Savannah in pursuit. When the two ships were near 
enough, the privateer made the startling discovery that her 
neighbor was well armed. She found, to her cost, that she 
had made a blunder ; and she was forced to surrender to 



62 Yowig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

what proved to be the United States brig Perry, commanded 
by Lieutenant Parrott. Her officers and crew were sent on 
their own ship as prisoners to New York. 

The Petrel, once a United States revenue cutter, was another 
pioneer in the business of piracy. She also ran the blockade 
at Charleston without mishap. She soon spied the United- 
States frigate St. Lawrence, and, mistaking her for a merchant- 
man, immediately gave chase. 

Pretending to run away, the St. Lawrence crowded sail ; 
but, when the Petrel was nearly alongside, she opened a 
broadside upon her, which sunk her in a few minutes. 

A few of her crew were drowned ; but the most of them 
were " fished out of the water " by the St. Lawrence, which 
turned out to be a blockading frigate on duty when she was 
attacked by the Petrel. 

The very first privateer that bore the Confederate flag was 
called the Lady Davis ; which was rather a doubtful compli- 
ment to the wife of President Davis, since it was named for 
her. 



i86i.i The Nation's Answer. 63 



CHAPTER V. 

THE nation's answer. 

" From prairie, O plougliman ! speed boldly away, 
There's seed to be sown in God's furrows to-day; 
Row landward, lone fisher ; stout woodman, come home ; 
Let the smith leave his anvil, and weaver his loom; 
Let hamlet and city ring loud with the cry ; 
* For God and our country we'll fight till we die. 
Here's welcome to wounding and conflict and scars, 
And the glory of death for the stripes and the stars.' " 

IT was indeed high time that there should be a larget 
mihtary force at hand. From the very windows of the 
White House, could be distinctly seen a rebel flag flying 
at Alexandria. The Rebellion was growing bolder, without 
doubt. 

But prompt as the sailor's "Ay, ay, sir ! " when his captain 
orders him aloft in a storm, there came the hearty answer of 
the forty-two thousand men, in person too, which was worth 
a dozen promises. 

The fall of Sumter kindled a blaze of patriotism from 
Maine to California. Enthusiasm knew no bounds. It was 
estimated at the time, that, by the end of April, three hundred 
and fifty thousand men stood ready and willing to enter the 
service of the Government, either on land or on sea. 

Lads were eager to enlist, and begged to be allowed to 
serve as drummer-boys when they were too young to be 
accepted for the ranks. Old men forgot their stiff joints, 
and offered themselves to their country. 



64 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

A story is told of Mr. Bates, of Indiana, who enlisted, and 
went into camp with his regiment at Indianapolis. When 
asked his age, he unwillingly confessed that he was ninety- 
two years old ; but he said that he wished to show young 
men that old men were not afraid to fight. 






■ ,«uyv<\lvl- <^*, -.-=?^ 




SPIRIT OF THE NORTH. 



In Boston, New York, and Chicago, mass meetings were 
held daily and nightly, where speeches were made, and im- 
mense sums of money subscribed, for the support of the 
Government. From old Trinity Church, in the city of New 
York, an immense flag floated, two hundred and forty feet 
from the ground. The chimes played " Yankee Doodle," 
and "The Red, White, and Blue;" while the cheers from 
the throng on the street were almost deafening. The ladies 
of New York held a meeting at the Cooper Institute, to or- 
ganize a society to provide *' care for the sick and wounded 
of the army." This really looked like war. To make plans 
for the care of the wounded, showed that battles were already 



i86i.) The Nation's Answer, 65 

thought of I and yet the war was but one week old. The 
American Express Company paid one-half his salary, dur- 
ing his whole term of service, to every man in its employ 
who volunteered; and it transported free all supplies for 
hospitals. The teachers in the Boston pubHc schools voted 
a certain proportion of their salaries to carry on the war. 
The artists of New York contributed pictures to be sold 
for the benefit of the families of volunteers. Everybody, 
men, women, and children, caught the spirit, and tried to 
do something for the Union. 

It now became a very hard matter to supply cloth enough 
to make uniforms for the large armies which had so suddenly 




"^.^:^'^K\ 



sprung into existence. All the mills in New England were 
pressed to their utmost capacity to manufacture army cloth. 
At the request of the operators at Lowell, the mills were kept 
going night and day, as well as on Sunday ; and the mill- 
girls gave their Sunday wages for the benefit of the soldiers. 
Blue was the color of the uniform for the Federal, or North- 
ern army ; dark blue, for officers ; for the men, dark blue 
jackets, and trousers of light blue. 



66 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

The Confederates in the ranks wore cadet-gray coats and 
sky-blue trousers ; while the officers were dressed in dark- 
blue cloth, like the Union army. Now that the Confederates 
were really organized, they gave up the Palmetto flag, and 
made a new one to take the place of it, which they called 
the " Stars and Bars." It had but three bars, red at the top 
and bottom, with white in the centre ; while on the left-hand 
upper corner, on a blue field, were nine stars arranged in a 
circle. Which of my readers can tell, without looking, how 
the stars are placed in the national flag, or how many stripes 
there are upon it ? For many years there was no fixed rule 
for the position of the stars. The first flag had thirteen stars 
and thirteen stripes, to represent the thirteen original States. 

Now, there are the thirteen stripes still, the upper and 
lower stripes being red. But in the blue field in the upper 
left-hand corner, are ranged thirty-eight stars, in lines parallel 
with the stripes, or else grouped in one great star. 

The first encounter which resulted in bloodshed in Virginia, 
was caused by the difference in the way in which the red, 
white, and blue were arranged on a certain flag in Alexandria. 

Perhaps some of my readers have heard of Colonel Elmer 
E. Ellsworth, who commanded the New York Fire Zouaves. 
" Zouave " is the name of a body of Arab soldiers, who served 
France after she conquered Algiers. The dress is very bright 
and graceful, and was worn by Ellsworth's regiment. The 
drill was quite different from the ordinary military exercise, 
and was much admired. 

Colonel Ellsworth was a gifted young man of good habits 
and gentle manners, and a favorite with all classes of society. 
He first drilled a company of Zouaves in Chicago, where 
he lived. Every member of this company was pledged to 
drink no liquor, to abstain from evil habits of all kinds, and 
to do nothing unbecoming a gentleman. It numbered one 
hundred men, and it was said to be the best-drilled body 



i86i.] 



The Nation s Answer, 



67 



in the United States. At the opening of the war, Colonel 
Ellsworth went to New York City, where, from the fire de- 
partment, he organized a regiment called the Fire Zouaves ; 
and they were among the first to go to Washington. Toward 
the end of May it was thought necessary, for the safety of 
the Capital, that several points in Virginia should be oc- 
cupied by Federal troops. Among those chosen for that 
purpose, were Colonel Ellsworth's Zouaves and the First 




ELLSWORTH AND HIS ZOUAVES. 



Michigan Regiment : they were ordered to Alexandria, which 
is a town on the Potomac but a few miles from Washington. 
The First Michigan Regiment marched along the river-bank ; 
while the Zouaves went by boat, arriving in the early morn- 
ing. Ellsworth, with a squad of men, was hastening to the 
telegraph-office to cut off communication with the South, 
when they passed the Marshall House. Upon the roof of 
this hotel, was flying the rebel flag which had so lately been 
seen in Washington. Ellsworth was indignant. Quickly en- 
tering the house, he asked, '" Who put that flag up? " Since 



68 Yoimg Folks' Hist my of the Civil War. [1861. 

nobody seemed to know, he ran up-stairs, and tore it down, 
bringing it with him. 

As Ellsworth came down again, a man named Jackson 
sprang out of a passage, and shot him dead. Quick as 
thought Brownell, one of Ellsworth's comrades, fired at 
Jackson, instantly kiUing him. But, alas ! it did not bring 
back to hfe the friend who lay dead at his feet. One wrong 
is never righted by another. 

The body of the young colonel was carried reverently back 
to the navy-yard in Washington, and placed in an engine- 
house, which was covered with flags and flowers and heavily 
draped in mourning. Thousands of visitors crowded to look 
upon the face of the dead, and among them were the Presi- 
dent and his family. Later, the coffin was carried to the 
White House, where it rested in the East Room for several 
hours, and where, also, the funeral services were held. The 
President and several members of the Cabinet followed in 
the mournful procession which escorted the body of Ellsworth 
to the station, whence it was taken to the home of his parents 
at Mechanicsville, N.Y. 

While this sad affair was taking place at the Marshall 
House in Alexandria, the telegraph-office was seized, as had 
been intended. The First Michigan Regiment, which en- 
tered the city a little later, took possession of the railroad 
station, capturing a body of Confederate cavalry. Soldiers 
on horseback are cavalry ; infantry means soldiers on foot ; 
while those who fight with cannon are called artillery. These 
explanations are especially meant for girls : boys know about 
such things already. 

You know that we left General Butler at Annapolis. It 
was not necessary for him to stay there long, however ; and 
he knew that it was the intention of General Scott to occupy 
Baltimore as soon as there should be a force sufficiently 
strong to do so safely. So, as General Butler was now quite 



i86i.] The Nation s Answer, 69 

ready to make the attempt, he led his command forward, 
without waiting for orders, supposing that he was right in 
taking the responsibihty. The night was dark, and a heavy 
rain was falhng, when nine hundred men, with General Butler 
at their head, entered the city, and quietly took possession 
of Federal Hill, where they encamped. 

The next morning the citizens of Baltimore read in their 
newspapers a proclamation from Federal Hill, which aston- 
ished them ; for it was not known, until then, that there was 
an army in their midst. Since it was already there, how- 
ever, nobody dared to object; and, as General Butler had 
come to keep peace instead of breaking it, there need be 
no trouble about it. It was not long after this, before Mary- 
land declared herself loyal to the Government, and not a 
rebel flag was seen in the State. But General Scott was 
Butler's superior in rank, that is, higher than he. The act 
of occupying Baltimore, without special orders to do so, dis- 
pleased the old general-in-chief ; and he took occasion to 
reprimand General Butler for it. But Mr. Lincoln was very 
amiable and kind ; and it was not long before he showed Gen- 
eral Butler that his services were appreciated, by promoting 
him to the rank of major-general. He was not allowed to 
remain long in Baltimore, but was ordered to the command 
of Fortress Monroe, on a peninsula which lies between the 
James and York Rivers, in Virginia. 

General Scott, who was a venerable, white-haired old man, 
had a warm heart, but an exaggerated idea of his authority, 
and the respect due to his position and rank. 

One day early in the war, while the country was swarming 
with raw recruits who knew nothing of military etiquette, 
the old general came out of his office in Washington to 
enter his carriage. An orderly stepped up to him with a 
letter which he had been directed to deliver without delay. 
Hastily touching his cap in a careless way, the orderly began, 



70 Young Folks History of the Civil War. [isei. 

" O general ! here is a paper I want you to look at before 
you " — For an instant the proud commander-in-chief 
was petrified ; then, raising his cane, he said in a low voice, 
" 'Clear out, sir ! clear out of the way ! ' The startled orderly 
sprang to one side, and the general got into his carriage, 
and was driven away. The soldier then delivered his letter 
to some one in the office, and walked slowly out. General 
Scott's carriage had not gone thirty rods before it stopped 
and turned about. The driver, raising his voice, summoned 
the offending orderly to the door. Trembling in every limb, 
cap in hand, he approached. General Scott asked his name 
and regiment. He gave them. 'Well, sir,' said the gen- 
eral, ' report to your colonel that you were guilty of gross 
disrespect to General Scott as an officer, and that General 
Scott was guilty of gross disrespect to you as a man. Gen- 
eral Scott begs your pardon. Go to your duty, sir. ' ' ' Whether 
the story be true or not, the characteristics of the stanch 
old general and martinet might have made such a scene 
easily possible. 

Before the government of the Confederate States was 
properly officered, Judge Robinson of Richmond, an old 
friend and classmate, paid General Scott a visit for the pur- 
pose of offering him the command of all the Confederate 
forces. As soon as he perceived the nature of his friend's 
errand, Scott interrupted him, saying, "Judge, if you go 
any further in making me such a proposition, you will not 
be permitted to return to Richmond," and added, " having 
sworn to support the Constitution of the United States, I 
realize all the honorable obligations of that oath, and shall 
keep them." 

The day after General Butler took command of Fortress 
Monroe, he sent a body of troops, under command of Colonel 
J. W. Phelps, to visit the Httle village of Hampton, near by. 
To their astonishment, it was discovered that the rebels had 



i86i.i The Nation'' s Anszver, 71 

set on fire the bridge over Hampton Creek. The Green 
Mountain Boys quickly put out the flames, however, and, 
driving off the enemy, estabhshed Camp Hamilton, not far 
from the country-house of John Tyler, formerly President of 
the United States. On the same day Colonel Phelps caused 
a redoubt to be cast up at the end of the bridge nearest 
Fortress Monroe, which " was the first military work made 
by Union troops on the soil of Virginia." 

A few days later Colonel Phelps and his Vermonters were 
ordered to occupy Newport News, under the protecting guns 
of the United-States steamer Harriet Lane. Lieutenant 
John T. Greble accompanied Phelps to superintend the 
erection of the works. The post was named " Camp Butler." 
At the same time Colonel Duryea with his fine regiment 
of Zouaves arrived, and was assigned to the command at 
Fort Hamilton, with the rank of brigadier-general. There 
were many people in and around Fortress Monroe that sum- 
mer who afterwards distinguished themselves for bravery. 
Among these were Colonel Edward Baker and Captain 
Kilpatrick. Major Theodore Winthrop, Butler's aide and 
secretary, already enjoyed some literary distinction. Colonel 
Duryea was soon succeeded by Brigadier-General E. W. 
Pierce of Massachusetts, in command at Fort Hamilton. 

Fortress Monroe is said to be the largest single fortifica- 
tion in the world. The famous fortress of Gibraltar occupies 
more room, it is true ; but it is composed of several separate 
forts built in the solid rock, while Fortress Monroe is but 
one. On the 25th of May there were six thousand .soldiers 
within its walls. 

A great many negroes ran away from their masters, and 
came into this fort for safety. General Butler took them in, 
and treated them kindly ; but he did not allow them to be 
idle. Contrary to their expectations, perhaps, he set them 
at building earthworks, and strengthening fortifications, which 
served to keep them out of mischief. 



72 Yoting Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

A story was told of an old " uncle," who had been given 
a pretty hard day's work, and who, when night came, made 
up his mind that he had not bettered his condition ; and so 
he said, " I b'l've dis yer nigger'll secede once moah." 

It was here that the name '' contraband " came to be given 
to slaves. Goods and articles which may be used to aid an 
enemy in carrying on warfare, are called '' contraband," or 
forbidden. General Butler thought that negroes could easily 
be made useful to their masters for this purpose : so he 
called them contraband of war, refusing to restore them to 
their owners when they were sent for. The name clung 
to the colored people for many years. 

Old Point Comfort was the name of the peninsula, or 
tongue of land, upon which Fortress Monroe is built. It 
received that name because it was the landing-place of the 
first settlers of Virginia, after a long and stormy voyage. 
There, also, in 1620, the first slaves were sold in this coun- 
try. Was it not a piece of justice that they should find 
freedom where they had first been enslaved ? 

General Butler found his neighbors to be bitter secession- 
ists, who hated the Union, its army, and its flag. So he 
took possession of the little towns of Hampton and New- 
port News, a few miles distant , but that did not keep the 
rebels from being very bold and saucy. No doubt they 
thought there was nothing to be afraid of. 

So one night a force, under the direction of General E. W. 
Pierce, started upon an expedition to reconnoitre for several 
miles to the north-east of Fortress Monroe. Reconnoitre 
is a French word, meaning to look about, or examine. 
This was done in order to find out how large a body of 
Confederates was near. By a sad misfortune, the two parts 
of this force, starting from different points, met in the dark 
near a place north-east of Hampton, called Litde Bethel 
Each supposing the other an enemy, they both opened fire 



i86i,] The Nation s Answer. 75 

Many were killed and wounded before the mistake was dis- 
covered. Then they joined in the attempt to attack the 
Confederates at Little Bethel. Finding their camp deserted, 
however, General Pierce hastened to Big Bethel, farther on. 
Here he came unexpectedly upon more than one thousand 
Confederates, who had retreated at the sound of firing, and 
now lay behind a fine barricade, or breastwork, all ready 
lo receive General Pierce and his men. A sharp skirmish 
followed, lasting several hours. The nationals were badly 
beaten. When General Pierce retreated, he left one hun- 
dred men on the battle-field. Here fell young Major Win- 
throp, so gifted and full of promise. But he met death 
bravely, leading and encouraging his men to the cannon's 
mouth. P'ailing to hear the order to retreat, he stood almost 
alone when a rebel bullet pierced his heart. 

Not less sad was the loss of Lieutenant John T. Greble of 
the regular army ; nor was his death less heroic. He was 
killed in the retreat by a rifle-shot as he was firing upon the 
Confederates. 

But there were also heroes among non-commissioned 
officers. Orderly-Sergeant Goodfellow was wounded in the 
battle of Great Bethel. He was going to die. As his 
friends gathered around him with offers of assistance, he 
said, " Don't mind me, boys : go on with the fight. Don't 
stop for me ! " And then he sank upon the ground. His 
colonel came near at that moment ; and, looking up, he 
said pleasantly, " Good-by, colonel," and then he died. 

In following General Butler's command, we have omitted 
many other important events that have occurred in the mean 
time. 

It is to the credit of that State, that all Virginians did not 
share the feeling of those near Fortress Monroe. When 
the vote of the State was taken, a great many Virginians 
refused to consent to secession. The number of Unionists 



76 Young Folks' History , of the Civil War. [isei. 

being smaller than that of the secessionists, however, of 
course the Unionists had to submit. But after a while these 
loyal people made up their minds that they would not give 
up the Union, after all. So a convention was held at Wheel- 
ing, in the north-western part of the State, to consider the 
matter. The result was, that every man present cast his ballot 
for the division of the State rather than for the division of 
the nation. 

It was proposed to make two States of Virginia, East and 
West, and to ask Congress to receive West Virginia into the 
Union again. It will not spoil the story to say here, that 
Congress did take it back during its session the next winter. 
How West Virginia became again free to do as she chose, 
will be told hereafter. 

When Mr. Lincoln was nominated for President by the 
Republican party, Mr. Stephen A. Douglas was the Demo- 
cratic candidate for the same office. But that he was not 
elected does not mean that he was one whit less loyal and 
true than Mr. Lincoln. On the 4th of June, Stephen A. 
Douglas died at his home in Chicago. 

These two opposing politicians were good friends, notwith- 
standing their difference of opinion. Although they were so 
much in earnest, and thought so differently upon political 
questions, they had learned that it was not necessary to 
(juarrel over a mere opinion, which every man has a right 
to hold. 

It is said, that when, in 1843, Mr. Douglas and Mr. 
Browning were opposing candidates for Congress, they 
made an agreement that they would never be betrayed into 
saying unkind things about each other. And that promise 
was sacredly kept. They travelled in company from county 
to county, making speeches on opposite sides of the pohticai 
issues of that time, during the whole summer and autumn. 
Still their friendship was never clouded. 



i8&i.] The Nation s Answer. 77 

In the same proclamation with his call for volunteers, Mr. 
Lincoln had appointed a special session of Congress, to meet 
on the 4th of July. To fill the seat in the Senate mad^ 
vacant by the death of Mr. Douglas, the governor of Illinois 
chose Mr Browning. 

Now that he, too, has passed away, men look back with 
tear-dimmed eyes to the scene, when, in his first speech in 
Congress, Mr. Browning made tender mention of his dead 
friend and rival. 

When war was really certain, Mr. Douglas nobly declared 
himself on the side of the Government. In the last speech 
which he made, he urged the Northern people to stand by 
the President and to preserve the Union. 

During his last moments, his wife asked him if he wished 
to leave a message for his boys. 

''Tell them," whispered the dying statesman, and the old 
fire returned for the moment to his heavy eyes, " tell them 
to obey the laws and support the Constitution of the United 
States." 



78 Yoimg Folks' History ^f the Civil War. [1861. 



CHAPTER VI. 

CLOUDS. 

NOW take your map, and look away across the United 
States, to the left, in a straight line, till you come to 
the State of Missouri. 

While we have been so busy watching the Army of the 
Potomac, feeling afraid that the Capital would be taken by 
the Confederates, we have forgotten that traitors might 
appear anywhere else. But, in the present state of things, 
we may be pretty sure of trouble ahead, wherever slavery is 
permitted. 

In Missouri the secessionists had many friends ; although 
the State had declared itself, as a whole, in favor of the 
Union. Governor Jackson was a rebel, and so were many 
representatives of the state government, which we call a 
Legislature, or law-makers. The governor refused to send 
his quota of troops when the President issued his first proc- 
lamation. For a long time, indeed, these disloyal plotters 
had been secretly getting ready to secede. To this end, 
General Frost was put in charge of the militia, or State 
guards. By order of Governor Jackson, the United States 
arsenal at Liberty, in the western part of Missouri, General 
" Frost quietly seized ; and it was his intention to take posses- 
sion of the arsenal at St. Louis as soon as possible. 

Governor Jackson had sowed the seeds of disloyalty with 
an open hand, and of course a plentiful crop of rebels was 
the harvest. Volunteers, ready to do his bidding and only 



i86i.] Clouds. 'jg 

too glad to fight against the Government, were posted at the 
most important points in the State. 

The small body of regular troops stationed in St. Louis, to 
protect the property of the United States, was commanded 
by Captain Nathaniel Lyon. He suddenly found himself in 
a very difficult position ; for General Harney, to whom he 
naturally looked for direction, as his superior in rank, was 
absent from the city at the time. 

General Frost had gathered as many of his State militia as 
he could muster, in Lindell's Grove, near St. Louis ; and he 
properly named the encampment after the traitor governor. 
The Stars and Stripes were kept upon the flagstaff, however, 
because Camp Jackson was called a camp of instruction, 
or a drill-camp. 

Captain Lyon heard that queer- looking boxes had come 
to General Frost from the South, marked " marble." He 
also learned pretty definitely, that these boxes contained 
muskets, cannon, and ammunition. Not only was Captain 
Lyon sure of the truth of these rumors, but he believed that 
the next step of the conspirators would be to attack the 
arsenal which it was his duty to protect. So he thought 
he had better look into the matter in person ; and one day he 
paid a visit to Camp Jackson, in disguise. In other words, 
he dressed himself in a bonnet and cloak, and, wearing a 
light veil, he went in an open carriage with a friend for 
a drive around the camp. What he saw and heard that May 
morning, opened his eyes to the truth that there was not a 
moment to be lost. 

In Colonel Frank P. Blair, jun., Captain Lyon had a warm 
friend, who had been busy recruiting Union regiments that 
would be of great service when the time came for action. 
These were called the " Home Guards," and they well 
deserved the name. 

The two friends consulted together on the night after 



8o Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

Captain Lyon's inspection of Camp Jackson, and a line of 
conduct was agreed upon. The next day, to the astonish- 
ment of every one, Captain Lyon led his little band of regu- 
lars with six pieces of artillery, followed by Colonel Blair 
with four regiments of Home Guards, through the streets of 
St. Louis, straight to Camp Jackson. Surrounding it with 
picket-guards carrying fixed bayonets, they planted batteries 
on all sides. No one was allowed to go in or to come out. 
Captain Lyon then ordered the surrender of the encamp- 
ment, offering to let them all go if they would take the oath 
to support the government of the United States. Only ten 
would do this, however : so the rest were taken prisoners of 
war. The wildest excitement followed the capture. All 
night St. Louis was in an uproar ; and, before the prisoners 
were safe at the arsenal, twenty-five persons were killed in 
the riot. 

Great credit is due to the loyal German regiment, who, 
under Colonel Franz Sigel, assisted in this capture. 

The next day General William S. Harney returned, and 
issued a proclamation to the people, assuring them of their 
safety and of his protection, if they obeyed the law% and kept 
the peace. 

For the skill and promptness with which Captain Lyon 
conducted the affair at St. Louis, he was promoted to the 
rank of brigadier-general of volunteers. Very soon, also, 
owing to some bungling upon General Harney's part, he was 
relieved ; and General Lyon was placed in command of the 
department of St. Louis. This brought things to a crisis. 
The governor and the rebel major-general, Sterling E. Price, 
who now commanded the militia, offered to make the State 
neutral ; that is, not to take either side. To this end they 
proposed that the United States troops leave the State, and 
that the Home Guards should disband, putting every thing, 
of course, in the power of the governor. But General 



i86r.] Clouds. 83 

Lyon's plan was quite a different one. He urged that the 
Missouri State troops should disband, and that the Govern- 
ment should not be hampered by any promises. 

The result was what might have been expected. With 
all haste, away sped these two traitors, Jackson and Price, 
with their troops, to Jefferson City, burning bridges behind 
them. General Lyon was in no less haste to follow. Two 
days afterward he was on their track, with fifteen hundred 
men. He did not care for bridges ; as he went by boat 
up the Missouri River, where he hoped to find Price 
waiting for him, at Jefferson City. He was disappointed, 
however, for the rebels had already pushed on to Boonville. 
After hoisting the national flag over the State- House, Gen- 
eral Lyon started again in pursuit of Price. 
Near Boonville the two forces met at last, but General 

? Price evidently did not expect the Unionists so soon. A 
sharp skirmish took place, in which the rebels were beaten 
and scattered, with little loss on either side. 

General Price was taken suddenly ill, and left Boonville 
before the end of the battle ; but Governor Jackson ran 
away, and thus ingloriously ended his career forever, so far 

' as history records. 

In July a State convention was called, and a new govern- 
or and other officers were elected. This time, true and 
loyal men were chosen to fill the vacant offices. 

Ohio was enthusiastically and unanimously patriotic. She 
furnished her required number of volunteers so promptly, 

'" that she was at once entitled to a major-general to com- 

; mand them ; and Governor Dennison appointed Captain 
George B. McClellan for the place. General McClellan was 
a graduate of West Point Academy. A young man of fine 
ability, as well as of thorough military education, he was 
made a major-general of volunteers. Not long after, the 
States of Indiana and Illinois were added to the Department 



84 yoii7ig Folks History of the Civil War. [1861. 

of the Ohio ; for you will see that these States lie on one 
side of the Ohio River, and it was essential to keep control 
of its waters. McClellan was then made a major-general 
in the regular army. 

Naturally, the rebels were unwilling to lose half of Virginia. 
To prevent it from returning to the Union, an armed force 
was sent into that part of the State which had declared itself 
loyal. Not only was private property destroyed, but bridges 
were burned, and much damage was done by the invaders. 

As Ohio lay so near, it was only a sisterly thing to help 
Virginia in this emergency, and she was very ready to do 
it. Therefore General McClellan sent a letter to West 
Virginia, urging those who loved the Union, and desired to 
remain in it, to join him in driving the Confederate troops 
out of the State. Then, with his army, he crossed the Ohio 
River ; one half going over at Parkersburg, and the other at 
Wheeling, with the intention of meeting at Grafton. Gen- 
eral McClellan found a very satisfactory answer to his invita- 
tion awaiting him. Colonel B. F. Kelley, at the head of two 
regiments of \Vest Virginians, was ready to join him. 

The rebels had already heard of the approach of the 
Unionists, and had fallen back to Philippi. They were only 
waiting here for a heavy storm to cease, before making good 
their retreat still farther south. But the Nationals did not 
wait for fair weather. Two detachments started in pursuit ; 
the one to the right, and the other to the left, of Philippi, 
both going south. On the morning of the 3d of June, the 
two divisions having arrived at nearly the same moment, a 
sudden attack upon the rebel encampment was made from 
two opposite hills on either side of the town. The effect 
was startling. Although the Confederates had received 2 
hint that McClellan was coming, they were routed and scat 
tered very quickly. Colonel Kelley was seriously woundec 
in the skirmish, but afterward recovered. 



i86i.] Clotuis. %y 

Elated by the complete success of this attack, the Fed- 
erals hastened to press the enemy southward into the Cheat 
River Valley. After this defeat at Philippi, the command 
of the rebel army was given to General Robert S. Garnett, 
a graduate of West Point, who had taken up arms for the 
Confederacy. 

All this country is mountainous ; and the only means of 
getting from one town to another is by the turnpike, or public 
wagon-road. At Beverly, where General Garnett was trying 
to collect Porterfield's scattered troops, the road going north 
is divided into two branches, or forks, one crossing Rich 
Mountain, the other going through a pass of Laurel Hill. 
Here General Garnett intrenched himself; while Colonel 
Pegram, with a smaller force, guarded the pass at Rich 
Mountain. 

General McClellan's army was expected to approach from 
the direct mountain turnpike in either or both of these direc- 
tions. 

In part, the Confederates were right in their conjecture ; 
for General McClellan, with seven regiments, came from the 
north-west toward Rich Mountain, till he arrived within two 
miles of the enemy's camp. Sending out spies to discover 
Garnett's position, McClellan learned that an attack made 
from the front would result in defeat and great loss. So 
General Rosecrans volunteered to lead a detachment, or 
portion of the army, to the top of Rich Mountain. This 
he did successfully, leaving the main road, and cHmbing 
steadily up, for hours, through a thick wood, in the midst 
of a heavy, drenching rain. Suddenly he came face to face 
with the enemy. Colonel Pegram had not expected the 
attack from the rear, but he made a stubborn fight as long 
as there was a chance for him. 

In the mean time General McClellan was to attack in 
front at the same moment ; but Rosecrans's messenger was 



S8 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [isei. 

captured, and so McClellan knew nothing of his success till 
long afterward. 

Colonel Pegram tried to get away, and join General 
Garnett at Laurel Hill ; but he, hearing 'of the misfortune 
which had befallen the Confederates, had also retreated, 
closely followed by the Union army. 

So Colonel Pegram was caught. He surrendered to Mc- 
Clellan at Beverly, officers and men, nearly six hundred pris- 
oners. Still the Unionists pursued, and still the Confed- 
erates fled, cutting down trees as they went. Seeing that 
the way toward the south was blocked for him, Garnett 
turned toward the north, hoping to get out of the trap from 
the other way. At Carrick's Ford, on the Cheat River, a 
battle was fought in earnest. The Confederates were de- 
feated here also, and General Garnett was killed. His per- 
sonal conduct had been gallant, but he had entirely failed 
to rally his panic-stricken men. Indeed, at the time of his 
death, he was quite alone. A boyish young aide who fell by 
his side was his only companion. The body of General 
Garnett was cared for by the Federals, and sent to his 
friends. 

General McClellan had been so skilful, or so lucky, or 
both, in this campaign, as a series of military operations is 
sometimes called, that he received, in consequence, the 
position of commander of the Army of the Potomac. 

General Rosecrans was placed in charge of affairs in 
General McClellan's place, where we will leave him for the 
present, while we gossip about his neighbors a little. In the 
train of misfortunes which followed the Union arms about this 
time, came the Vienna disaster. General Irwin McDowell, 
who was in command at Arlington Heights, received infor- 
mation of an attempt to burn the bridges of a railway not far 
from Alexandria. So he sent General Robert C. Schenck 
to look after things in that neighborhood. Accordingly, 



i86i.] Clouds. 89 

General Schenck embarked the First Ohio, under Colonel 
McCook, upon a train, and proceeded in the direction indi- 
cated. As they neared Vienna, a little town a few miles 
from Alexandria, the train was fired upon by a masked or 
concealed battery, and several were killed and wounded. 
As may be imagined, people were very indignant at this sort 
of Indian warfare. 

In order to systematize military affairs, the various loyal 
States were grouped together by threes or fours, each cluster 
being called a department. When the heads of these newly- 
made departments were chosen, none was more satisfactory 
to the general-in-chief than was General Robert Patterson, 
who was appointed to the Department of Pennsylvania, 
which was made up of the States of Maryland, Delaware, 
and Pennsylvania. 

General Patterson had seen service ; and his fine record 
bore testimony that he was no " dastard in war," although 
he was no longer a young man, since his next birthday 
would make him seventy years old. 

As the rebels had strengthened Harper's Ferry, and in- 
creased the number of troops there to a very alarming 
degree. General Patterson's first intention seems to have 
been to give battle at once, and thus drive them out of their 
stronghold. But he dallied with excuses, and changed his 
plans so often, that the Confederates destroyed the railroad 
bridge and much of the Government property, and left 
Harper's Ferry, falling back towards the south as far as 
Winchester ; when, lo ! General Patterson followed General 
Joseph E. Johnston's example and retreated. So he contin- 
ued to march and countermarch, giving no heed to frequent 
and urgent telegrams from General Scott, imploring him to 
do something. His operations remind one of the nursery 
rhyme : " The King of France, with forty thousand men, 
marched up a hill, and then marched down again." 



90 Young Folks' History qf the Civil War. [1861. 

The real purpose for which General Patterson's division 
was needed, was to keep General Johnston's rebel army in 
check, or to engage it in battle. In that way General 
McDowell might be free to attack General Beauregard's 
army at Manassas Junction, without fear of his re-enforce- 
ment by Johnston. 

But, alas ! nothing was done. And at last General Scott, 
quite out of patience, telegraphed, " Has not he [Johnston] 
stolen a march, and sent re-enforcements toward Manassas 
Junction?" But Patterson would not admit it, and neither 
would he fight. General Scott had guessed the truth. With 
a force much larger than that of the enemy, and with every 
other advantage, Patterson had indeed allowed Johnston to 
slip past him to assist in the battle of Bull Run, which soon 
followed. 



i86t.i A Black Monday. 91 



CHAPTER VII. 

A BLACK MONDAY. 

A HUNDRED years ago the way of carrying on war 
was very simple. . Messages were sent only by swift 
and trusty horsemen from camp to camp, or town to town. 
Signals were made by lighting bonfires on the tops of hills, 
or lanterns were hung in church-steeples to give warning of 
danger. That was in the time of the Revolutionary War. 
But in our Civil War, what with our network of railways 
stretched across the country, and the tattling telegraph, the 
secret of the best-laid plan that any general could imagine 
was out, long before it was executed. Besides, there were 
the newspapers. Some modern Jason must have sown 
every battle-field with " dragon's teeth ; " for no sooner did 
two armies prepare for an engagement than up sprang a 
harvest of reporters ; the difference being, that the weapon 
used by this army was the pen instead of the lance. In 
this the Confederates were wiser than the Unionists, for 
they knew that a pen in careless hands is the more danger- 
ous. So they ordered the Southern newspapers to publish 
no intended movements of their armies, for fear of giving 
information to the Northern people. As if this were not 
enough, balloons were used for military purposes. Too 
high to be in any danger, they were sent up over an 
enemy's camp. Much could thus be learned which it 
would be impossible to know in any other way. The 
strength and position of the enemy, and how many guns he 



92 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

had, could thus be easily discovered. Professor Lowe made 
an ascension at Washington for military purposes in June, 
1 86 1. He connected his balloon by telegraph with the War 
Department, and sent Mr. Lincoln the first despatch ever 
telegraphed from mid-air. 

l\\ still another way, too, great progress and improvement 
had been made in the art of war. Cannons and guns of 
all kinds had been invented wherewith to kill men, which 
would have astonished the soldiers who fought at Bunker 
Hill. Steam war-vessels and iron-clad gunboats sailed the 
sea, instead of ponderous and unwieldy ships Uke the old 
Constitution, of which we already know. 

In the light of the nineteenth century, therefore, with all 
the death-dealing machines at hand which human skill could 
invent, the North and the South began a hand-to-hand 
struggle for the mastery. 

Already had ten thousand men crossed the Potomac into 
Virginia. They were posted on the left bank of the river, 
stretching, in the shape of a crescent, or new moon, from 
Alexandria to Georgetown. 

At Fortress Monroe, General Butler commanded fifteen 
thousand men ; and General Patterson, with his eighteen 
thousand, was supposed to be in the neighborhood of Win- 
chester. 

The Confederates had also gathered an army, the greater 
part of which, under General P. G. T. Beauregard, lay at 
Manassas Junction, about thirty-five miles south-west from 
Wasliington. As we know, Johnston, with eight thousand 
Confederates, was at this moment trying to escape Patter- 
son, whom he supposed to be at his heels, in order to join 
Beauregard at Manassas Junction. At this place two rail- 
roads cross each other ; and, from its position among the 
hills, it .would seem an easy matter to resist an attack which 
might be made from the north or west. 




THE OLD FLAG. 



i86i.] A Black Monday. 95 

The Union army, organized and commanded by Briga- 
dier-General McDowell, was now greatly increased in view 
of making an immediate attack upon the enemy. 

One morning about the middle of July, the Union camp 
was stirring very early. Soon, in the gray dawn, four long 
dark columns began to move toward the south, all going 
in the same direction, but by different roads. 

So, thirty-four thousand strong, this Grand Army of 
the Potomac went gayly out to its first battle. Many of the 
men had enlisted at the first call of the President, and their 
time was nearly out. They had become a little used to 
military order and usages ; but the greater part of this army 
was composed of new recruits who answered to the second 
call, and who were not, therefore, very soldierly in their 
habits. A very small proportion of this vast company was 
regulars. 

It is true that General McDowell commanded, but each 
division was under the charge of a separate general. 

A division is made of three or four brigades, and a bri- 
gade has several regiments in it, while every i-egiment is com- 
posed of ten companies. General E. B. Tyler led the first 
division, and Colonel David Hunter the second. The third 
was commanded by Colonel Samuel P. Heintzleman, and 
the fourth by General Theodore Runyon. This latter divis- 
ion, however, was left to guard tlie road between Centreville 
and Washington. 

The fifth was given to the care of Colonel D. H. Miles. 
So quietly did they break camp, and move away, that no- 
body heard them. 

They took as little baggage as possible. At that stage in 
the war a soldier would have required a Saratoga trunk to 
carry all the luxuries and knick-knacks with which unwise 
and loving friends at home overwhelmed him ; but all these 
must be left behind. 



96 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

Would you like to know what a soldier carries when he 
goes to battle? I will tell you what orders General Mc- 
Dowell gave to his troops. They were to take "arms, 
accoutrements, and ammunition ; cartridges-boxes filled ; 
their haversacks, with three days' cooked rations (or food) ; 
their blankets with the ends tied to each other across the 
shoulder, and, when possible, a pair of stockings inside the 
blanket; their canteens and their cups." Canteens are 
water-bottles ; and accoutrements are pouches, belts, and 
such things. Knapsacks were to be packed and marked, 
and left, with tents and other heavy things, under the charge 
of an officer and a squad of soldiers. These followed later. 
A haversack is a canvas bag to put food in. A knapsack 
is a leathern bag in which a soldier packs his clothing, and 
which is carried on his back when he makes a long march. 

Your map will show you, that, in order to reach Manassas, 
the direct route ran through Centreville. It would also be 
necessary to cross Bull Run, a small stream which is a tribu- 
tary, or feeder, to the Potomac. General Tyler, with the 
first division, pushed on to Centreville. Finding it deserted, 
he was therefore ordered to reconnoitre, which is to " spy 
out the land," just as Moses sent spies into the land of 
Canaan to see it and the people, " whether they be strong 
or weak." 

In both cases they found the country well guarded. The 
rebel army was stretched along the west bank of Bull Run 
for nearly eight miles. The stream was pretty deep, and ran 
so swifdy that it could be crossed only at certain points. 
At every one of these places the rebels had posted a strong 
guard. 

When General Tyler attempted to reconnoitre at Black- 
burn's Ford, the enemy showed fight, and a sharp skirmish 
took place. The Nationals, being repulsed with a loss of 
sixty men, fell back again to Centreville. A ford is a shallow 



i86i.] A Black Monday. 97 

place in a stream, where one can ride or wade through, 
instead of crossing on a bridge. There were several fords 
and a stone bridge across Bull Run. The question now 
was, which place to choose for the passage of the Union 
army ; for all were well defended. 

General McDowell remained at Centreville two days 
arranging plans, and making ready for a fight. He intended 
to make the attack on Saturday ; but, his supplies failing to 
arrive, he was obliged to wait. On Saturday, however, three 
days' rations were given out, with orders to march at day- 
break on Sunday morning, July 21. A ration is a portion 
of food allowed daily to a soldier when on duty. 

General Tyler was to make a pretence, or feint, of trying 
to cross the stone bridge. This was to occupy the enemy, 
and thus cover the real crossing of the main army, a litde 
farther on, at Sudley's Ford, and was accomplished without 
difficulty. 

The rebel general, Joseph E. Johnston, with a portion of 
his army, was already on the ground. It was past ten before 
the Nationals came in sight. The battle soon began in 
earnest. First the Nationals seemed to have the advantage, 
and then the Confederates. Just as the Nationals were 
beginning to waver from exhaustion, Keyes and Sherman 
appeared with fresh troops, scattering the rebels to right and 
left. This was about eleven o'clock. 

That morning's work made many a child fatherless, and 
broke many a widow's heart. But before noon the news of 
victory to the Union army was bulletined at every news- 
paper office at the North. When such timely help came 
to the Nationals, the Confederates fled across an open 
space, and up a hill where the " Robinson " and *' Henry " 
houses stood. Here, on a broad table-land, with a thick 
wood in the rear, they began once more to rally. They 
found General Jackson, with a battery and a few companies, 



98 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [isei. 

calmly holding the position, which was, in fact, an excellent 
one. It was about this time that General Bee, in trying to 
encourage his tired troops, cried: "Here stands Jackson 
like a stone wall ! " '' Stonewall ! " was taken up upon all 
sides with the wildest enthusiasm. So the famous rebel 
general, Jackson, was ever afterward known as " Stonewall " 
Jackson. 

Now the Nationals began the task of driving the enemy 
from that plateau, or table-land. In order to do it, the 
rebel batteries on the brow of the hill must be taken. The 
order was given. Up went the artillery, with their support- 
ing regiments, " into the jaws of death." Another regiment 
followed. Now a battery was captured from the enemy, 
now a whole regiment of Nationals was cut to pieces. The 
conflict seemed so equal, that one might fancy it would go 
on while a man was left. The ground was red with blood. 
Many gallant officers on both sides had been killed, and 
many wounded. Even General Johnston began to feel dis- 
couraged, and the Nationals did not dare to hope. 

Three times the Nationals climbed wearily up the hill ; 
and when, at last, bearing their flags heavily, they gained the 
top for the third time, a terrible fire of musketry and artillery, 
"at pistol-range," mowed them down like grain in a harvest- 
field. Just at that moment the rest of General Johnston's 
command appeared, led by General Kirby Smith. 

Cheer after cheer rose from the Confederates, who took 
fresh courage. On came two regiments, of fresh recruits, 
pressing furiously upon the right wing of the Union army ; 
and the same murderous fire continued in front. What 
wonder, then, that at the cry, " Johnston's army has come ! " 
the Unionists lost all hope. One after another, regiment 
after regiment, broke and ran. The battle-field became 
a general race-course. Riderless horses, mules with wagons, 
and soldiers with their arms flung away, flying in wild haste 



i86i.] A Black Monday. loi 

and confusion, made such a scene as was never before 
imagined. Threats and entreaties were useless. Orders 
had no effect on the men, and many a gallant officer died 
trying to rally his command. One battalion of regulars 
firmly held together, and moved steadily across the plain 
to hold the enemy in check, in order to give the Federals a 
chance to rally. But it was all in vain. Faster and faster 
the poor fellows ran, never stopping to look behind them. 

They retreated to Centreville very naturally, and soon 
after midnight they were all on their way back to Washing- 
ton. Their wounded and dead alas, how great a com- 
pany ! were left behind. If one could have seen them, 
blood-stained and soiled, struggling through the dark, it 
would have been hard to believe that these were the daring 
and eager soldiers who had so lately gone out determined to 
conquer. 

" Never had the flag of the Union trailed so low in the 
dust before." Yet our boys in blue were not less brave than 
those in the gray. 

Ah ! that was a sad day at the North when the news was 
read of our defeat and shame. Above all, what a day of 
mourning it was for those who had given fathers and broth- 
ers and sons who should never come back to them ! 

For many a long year, July 22, i86t, will be remembered 
as "Black Monday;" for on that day fifteen hundred 
Unionists were killed or wounded, and from three thousand 
to four thousand were taken prisoners. The Confederate 
loss was about nineteen hundred. The " Henry house " 
was occupied by a woman who had been ill in her bed for 
years. She had a son and a daughter who took care of her ; 
but it was not likely that they knew the danger which they 
were in, until it was too late to move their mother. The 
story is a sad one. When the day's work was done, she was 
found so badly wounded, that she died the next day. 



102 Yoicng Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

The walls of the house were made into lace-work by bullets, 
for the hottest fight raged there. 

The batde of Bull Run has been pronounced, by an able 
commander who had a large share in it, '•' one of the best- 
planned battles of the war, and one of the worst-fought." 
The troops were raw and undisciplined, officers and men 
alike being unused to war. Their uniforms were in different 
colors ; their guns, of various patterns. They were strangers 
to hardships, and were appalled by the roar and shrieks of 
the battle-field. They did not even know how to obey 
properly when an order was given. They had never been 
" brigaded " before ; that is, they had never received orders 
for so many men at once. So little were they used to miH- 
tary obedience, that General Sherman said afterward, that he 
could not possibly keep his men from straggling off to pick 
blackberries, or to get water, on the march. 

Those who watched affairs in those days blamed General 
Patterson and Colonel Miles for the disaster ; the one hav- 
ing disobeyed the orders of a superior officer, while the 
other proved that he could not be trusted. 

Some thought General Patterson friendly to the Soutliern 
cause ; but we will not say so hard a thing of a man who 
was held worthy to command a Union army. Certainly he 
was not very anxious to fight, for he let Johnston slip past 
him without so much as a scratch. General Patterson was 
" honorably discharged " as soon as his time expired. To 
be honorably discharged is to let one go without censure ; 
and we may afford to be no less generous, now that he is 
dead. 

Mr. Lincoln had called an extra or special session of 
Congress, to meet on the 4th of July. He celebrated the 
national holiday in 1861, not by a display of fireworks, but 
by asking Congress to give him money and men. He asked 
for the right to call out four hundred thousand men, and for 



i86i.] A Black Monday. 105 

four hundred million dollars to carry on the war. The 
Secessionists were in earnest, and it was time for the gov- 
ernment to be in earnest too. 

The right which President Lincoln desired was granted. 
After the battle of Bull Run, however, another hundred mil- 
Hon of money was added, giving five hundred million dollars 
for military purposes. 

The rebel army also was eagerly enlarged. About this 
time the Confederate Congress met, but they were much 
perplexed about raising money. Gold-paying banks would 
not take their government notes : their Confederate bills sank 
in value as many as fifteen or twenty cents on every dollar. 
Laboring people would not accept Confederate money for 
their work. Where to get the means to carry on the war 
had become a serious question to them. But the North and 
the South were equally brave, and both bore the bitterest 
hardships without complaining. Each thought itself in the 
right. Each asked the blessing of God upon its cause. 
Women wore the national colors ; and children made " red, 
white, and blue " rosettes at the North. At the South, the 
Stars and Bars waved proudly everywhere. 

Envelopes and letter-paper were gay with flags and eagles. 
Four thousand different kinds of envelopes were made in 
three weeks. Most of these found their way to the soldiers' 
camps, filled with loving cheer from friends at home. Pa- 
triotic songs were sung, — " Dixie " at the South, the " Star- 
spangled Banner" at the North. No Httle town was too 
small to raise its company of soldiers. Waiting for its turn 
to come, it drilled and marched in brave new uniforms, — 
blue at the North, gray at the South. 

Public squares were dotted with new white tents ; and over 
them floated the Stars and Bars at the South, the Stars and 
Stripes at the North. The whole nation, from the Gulf of 
Mexico to British America, was thrilhng with heroism. 



io6 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

But the heroes did not all go to war. It is sometimes 
much harder to be left at home, and wait, than to go out, 
and do a daring thing. After these husbands and fathers 
and sons had fairly enlisted, and buckled on their swords, or 
taken their muskets and marched away, it was lonely enough 
for the wives and mothers and children who were left at 
home. Yet nobody wanted to keep these soldiers back. 
No, indeed ! Nor did the women weep with folded hands. 
Their hearts were just. as full of patriotism as if they had been 
men. If they could not give their lives for their country, 
what then? It did not take long to find out. All over the 
land, in the North and South too, bands were formed for 
sewing for the soldiers. Every woman thought of some dear 
one, when she sewed the blue flannel shirts. And litde girls 
always loved to think the warm stockings they were knitting 
would find their way to the feet of fathers or brothers. 
Everybody helped. The great public meeting at the Cooper 
Institute in New York, which was held so soon after Sumter 
was fired upon, began to bear fruit, for from it sprang the 
Sanitary Commission, a society for the comfort of soldiers, 
both sick and well. The Christian Commission was also 
organized for moral and religious work among them. 

Men gave money freely to buy cloth. Boys and girls 
gladly did their share in many ways. Great boxes of good 
things to eat were sent by every train to the sick in the 
hospitals through the generosity of these societies. 

After a while, the news of battles flew over the telegraph 
wires. Then long lists of the dead and wounded, which 
one scarcely dared to read, filled every heart with sorrow, 
and added a new item to the work for the soldiers. '' Lint 
and Bandage " meetings were held. Old linen, which would 
be soft and pleasant to the sick in the heat of a Southern 
summer, was gathered and sent with tears and prayers. 

Children never forgot to ask God to bless and protect the 



iS6i.| 



A Black Monday. 



107 



soldiers, whenever they said their prayers. Every man who 
wore a uniform was welcome to every home. 

Regiments on the march were received with cheers, and 
handkerchiefs fluttered from every window, in token of wel- 




CHILDREN'S FAIR. 



come. Coffee and all sorts of good things, were set out for 
their refreshment wherever they stopped. 

So, as everybody had something to do and something to 
think about, the time did not drag so wearily. All were 
working for one common cause, and the cause itself grew 
dearer. 



io8 Youno- Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

WESTERN WARRIORS. 

WE left General Price at the battle of Boonville. 
Immediately after that, he made all haste to join 
the rebel general, Ben McCulloch, in the southern part of 
Missouri. Wishing to prevent the meeting, Colonel Sigel 
pushed on after them, and overtook them at Carthage on 
the 4th of July, where a sharp skirmish took place. After 
three hours, the Unionists were repulsed, and retreated, fol- 
lowed by the rebels. Sigel's loss was not large ; and he was 
able, by good fortune and skilful generalship, to protect his 
baggage-train. 

A few days later he fell back to Springfield, where he was 
joined by General Lyon, who took command of his troops. 
A month passed by, still no re-enforcements came ; while 
the enemy had gathered all its strength in the south- 
western corner of Missouri, getting ready to make a fierce 
attack. 

One morning news came to General Lyon that the rebels 
were coming in two strong columns. 

He knew that it would be better to attack than to defend, 
with so small a force : so he gave the order to go forward. 
At Dug Springs, nineteen miles to the south of Springfield, 
the Nationals and Confederates met. The country was so 
hilly, that neither could see how large a force the other had. 
The Nationals were cautiously advancing, shots being briskly 
exchanged in the mean time, when suddenly the Confed- 



i86l.] 



Western Warriors, 



109 



erate cavalry made a dash upon them from the woods, 
breaking the column in two like a pipe-stem. 

A company of regulars, Stanley's cavalry, drew up in 
line and fired. The battle had just begun in earnest, when 
one of Stanley's officers shouted, " Charge ! " Away dashed 
twenty-five horses and riders into the midst of the rebels, 
cutting them to pieces in a fearful way. Before Stanley 




ARSENAL, ST, LOUIS. 



could recover himself to follow and support the few of his 
men who were making the charge, the Confederates were 
flying in every direction ; and in a short time they had all 
retreated. 

The next day Lyon decided to return to Springfield, since 
the Unionists were not strong enough to do any thing with- 
out re-enforcements. 

In the mean while, General McCulloch, now commanding 
the rebels in the place of Price, had been ordered to ad- 



no YoiLug Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

• 

vance at once upon General Lyon. After a hurried march, 
the Confederates encamped on both sides of Wilson's 
Creek, which lies about ten miles south of Springfield. 

They were in excellent spirits, notwithstanding their hun- 
ger. Their baggage-train had been left behind ; and they 
had no food excepting the green corn which they picked 
as they went, and ate without salt. They were ragged and 
thirsty, for this army of twenty-six thousand men had no 
canteens. They had neither tents nor blankets. 

General Lyon's command did not exceed five thousand 
men. He called a council of war ; and it was decided to go 
out to meet the enemy, as the site of Springfield was too 
level to be defended. So they were to set out in the dead 
of night, hoping to surprise the rebels. 

Oddly enough, the Confederates had intended to do this 
very thing themselves ; but, as the weather was stormy, the 
idea had been given up. The Nationals marched in two 
columns ; Lyon at the head of one, Sigel leading the other. 
Lyon was to attack in front, and Sigel in the rear. The plan 
was successful and the surprise was complete. Nevertheless 
it did not take long for the Confederates to fall into line \ 
and very soon the battle was raging. Sigel's shot and shell 
came crashing over the rebel encampment from the rear : 
Totten's and Dubois' batteries mowed them down in front. 
Twice during the fight the Union flag was raised by the 
Confederates, until they were in the very midst of the Union 
ranks, then, showing their true colors, they fought savagely. 
Through this trick, Sigel lost nearly half his men. General 
Lyon's behavior was heroic. All day he rode up and down 
the lines, cheering and leading his men. You know that 
a commanding general does not usually do this. He keeps 
out of danger, that he may be able to direct others, and 
plan for the whole army. T . 

Wherever the bullets fell fastest, General Lyon's face was 




GENERAL LYON LEADING THE CHARGE. 



i86i.] Western Warriors. 113 

seen. Twice he was wounded, and his horse was shot under 
him ; but he never thought of retreat. 

Urging forward an Iowa regiment whose colonel had been 
killed, and which hesitated or waited a little, asking, " Who 
will lead us?" General Lyon mounted another horse, and, 
waving his hat, cried, " I will lead you. Come on, brave 
men ! " Scarcely a minute after, a rifle-ball struck him in 
the breast, and he fell mortally wounded. He died in the 
arms of his servant, only saying, " I am going." 

Upon Major Sturgis, not less brave than General Lyon, 
now fell the command. At this time it was not known that 
Colonel Sigel's force had been decoyed and captured by 
the use of the national flag. So when, for the third time, it 
was again displayed. Major Sturgis supposed that Colonel 
Sigel was coming to his aid, when, lo ! within a few feet of 
the Nationals, these chivalrous Confederates fired a volley 
of bullets in their faces. Still the Unionists stood the storm, 
and returned the fire till the enemy fell back to the cover of 
the woods. But the clay was lost; for the rebels, with a 
superior force, were in possession of the battle-field. 

So the Nationals fell back to Rolla, which your map will 
show you is in the direction of St. Louis. 

That the rebels did not follow, is a pretty sure sign that 
they were glad to be rid of them. 

In the haste and confusion of leaving the field, the body 
of General Lyon was left behind. General Price kindly 
sent it to Springfield in his own wagon, where it was cared 
for and buried by Mrs. J. S. Phelps, and afterward it was 
sent to General Lyon's home in the East. 

The conduct of the national troops at the Battle of Wil- 
son's Creek was above praise. 

Major-General John C. Fremont, in the mean while, had 
been placed ai the head of affairs in the West, having his 
headquarters at St. Louis. He set about fortifying and 



114 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

strengthening that city against the enemy. He also placed 
strong garrisons at Cairo, Paducah, and Bird's Point. 

As we have seen, it was absolutely necessary to have 
money to carry on all his plans ; but not a cent had he. The 
under treasurer of the government refused to let General 
Fremont have any, without an order from Washington. 
Time was more important than ceremony ; and so prepara- 
tions were made to seize it forcibly, when the treasurer 
yielded, and Fremont took a hundred thousand dollars for 
national purposes. 

He declared martial law in St. Louis ; that is, all persons 
were warned neither to speak nor write one word against 
the government, nor to give aid or comfort to rebels, upon 
penalty of imprisonment. Those taken in the city with 
arms in their hands, if not employed by the government, 
were to be tried, and, if found guilty of treason, were to be 
shot. Rebel newspapers were stopped. Property belong- 
ing to rebels taking part against the Union, was to be con- 
fiscated or taken by the government ; and slaves of these 
disloyal people were to be made free. This was all done 
with the view to stop the fountain of treason, so that no 
more streams should flow from it. 

It seemed a hard measure, but the laws must be obeyed 
at all hazards. As slaves made up a large share of the 
capital of most of the secessionists, a great storm was 
the result of this proclamation. Mr. Lincoln therefore set 
aside the latter part of this law concerning property and 
slaves, in the hope to soften the bitterness of the aggrieved 
ones. 

It was September when General Price drew up before Lex- 
ington, on the south bank of the Missouri River. This town 
was garrisoned by Colonel James A. Mulligan of the Chicago 
Irish Brigade, with nearly three thousand men, but, alas ! 
with only forty rounds of ammunition and eight small 



i86i.] 



Western Warriors. 



115 



cannon. Colonel Mulligan hourly expected re-enforcements 
and supplies. Day after day went by ; and, as none came, 
the only thing left for them to do was to dig trenches and 
build earthworks, to protect themselves. 

General Price's force had become so strong that he 
hoped that Colonel Mulligan would surrender, if he only 
threatened. 

In the mean time. General Fremont was in an awkward 




FREMONT'S HOUSE IN ST. LOUIS, 



place. General Grant, at Cairo, was begging for more 
troops. General Robert Anderson, whom you remember, 
was now in command of the Department of the Cum- 
berland, and urgently calling for help at Louisville, Ky. 
General Scott ordered General Fremont to send him " five 
thousand well-armed infantry [or foot-soldiers] without a 
moment's delay." And here was Colonel MulHgan shut up 
in Lexington, without guns and ammunition ! General Fre- 
mont ordered troops from all quarters to his relief; but 



Ii6 Young Folks' History, of the Civil War. [isei. 

they never reached Lexington. The rebels had looked out 
for that, having driven them back, and also captured supplies 
intended for the beleaguered town. 

At daybreak on the 12th of September, General Price 
opened fire upon Lexington from four different directions. 
Colonel Mulligan met the assault bravely. From morning 
till night the battle was kept up without result. At length 
General Price withdrew his command to wait until his 
wagon-train should come. 

In the mean while, Colonel Mulligan hastened to prepare 
for the coming siege. Six days after the first attack, General 
Price, with fresh re-enforcements, opened another battle. 
His army was supposed to number about twenty thousand. 

The poor fellows in Lexington were in a sad plight. 
Their rations were getting low. Their ammunition was 
nearly gone. The cavalry had only pistols to fight with. 
Horses which had been killed in the first skirmish were un- 
buried, and the horrible stench made the men ill. The 
enemy had cut off the river from them ; so that they had no 
water, except that the soldiers caught in their blankets when 
it rained. Yet, for all this, when General Price sent word to 
them that they must surrender. Colonel Mulligan's answer 
was, " If you want us, come and take us." For three days 
the Confederates never stopped firing. At last the hospital 
was taken. The surgeon and chaplain were made prisoners ; 
and it is said that some of the sick were killed in their beds, 
though we cannot bear to believe that. Colonel Mulligan 
afterward said, that he never dreamed that in these days the 
rebels would harm a sick man. But, since the hospital was 
captured, it must be retaken. Captain Gleason, with his 
Montgomery Guard, undertook the task. At the word 
"Charge!" they rushed upon the enemy with such fury, 
that they drove him down hill, and beyond the battle-field ; 
and the sick were saved from such rude hands. But, out 



i86i.] Western Warriors. 119 

of the eighty men who went out to the charge, only fifty 
came back ; and their leader, Captain Gleason, had been 
shot through the cheek. This has been called one of the 
bravest and most gallant charges in all history. 

Colonel Mulligan had been wounded twice ; and many of 
the men became discouraged, refusing to fight any longer. 
So a white flag was raised, which is called a flag of truce ; 
and the Irish brigade, loyal and brave, surrendered with 
glory. When General Price received Colonel Mulligan's 
sword, he returned it, saying, " I should be sorry to see so 
brave an officer deprived of his sword." When all was over, 
the rebels asked one of the National soldiers where their 
ammunition was to be found ; to which an officer answered, 
" I beheve we gave you all we had, but upon my word I wish 
it had been more." The private soldiers were paroled, but 
Colonel Mulligan with his staff were taken prisoners. A 
parole means a promise not to fight again until properly 
exchanged. The National loss at Lexington during those 
seventy-two hours was from three hundred to five hundred 
men. Congress gave Colonel Mulligan's regiment the right 
to place on its flag the word " Lexington." Two months 
later Colonel Mulligan was exchanged and offered the rank 
of brigadier-general, which he refused, because he would 
rather stay with his regiment. 

Immediately after this, General Price moved forward to 
join McCulloch and Governor or General Jackson. General 
Fremont gave the rebels chase. Already too many battles 
had been lost because the Federals were not quite ready. 
This time all preparations were carefully made. 

General Fremont joined General Sigel at Osage River, 
with thirty thousand men ; and, five days later, they had 
bridged the stream, and crossed in search of the rebels. 
General Fremont was called the ^^ Pathfinder," because he 
had passed so much of his life in the Rocky Mountains, 



120 Yo?mg Folks' History, of the Civil War. [1861. 

before railways were built in the Far West. When he took 
charge of the Department of the Mississippi, he began 
raising a cavalry force. At first it was to be but a single 
company; but it afterward grew until several companies 
were formed, and accepted by the Government. 

The person who collected and drilled these men was a 
Hungarian named Zagonyi. He called them Fremont's 
" Body-Guard ; " and they were the finest specimens of 
strength and courage that could be found. They were 
drilled to move as one man. A few days after the Union 
troops had crossed the bridge over the Osage River, Gener- 
al Fremont ordered Zagonyi to go in advance of the army 
to see what the enemy was doing, and, if possible, to take 
the town of Springfield. With the Body Guard, one hun- 
dred and fifty strong, and about the same number of Major 
White's Prairie Scouts, they rode forward ; but, when they 
were within a few miles of Springfield, they learned that 
there were two thousand Confederate troops waiting for 
them. What would you have done? Well, Major Zagonyi 
never thought of going back ; but, calling his men around 
him, he said, — 

"Fellow-soldiers, the hour of danger has come. Your 
first battle is before you. The enemy is two thousand 
strong, and we are but one hundred and fifty. It may be 
that no man will come back. If any one wishes to turn 
back, he can do so now." He waited a moment, but no one 
stirred. Then he went on, saying, " I will lead yow. Let 
our watchword be, ' The Union and Fremont.' Draw sabres ; 
quick trot ; march ! " And headlong they charged into the 
Confederate ranks, cutting their way as a great machine 
goes through a wheat-field to cut the ripened grain. Sur- 
prised and terror-stricken, the Confederates scattered in all 
directions. The Body-Guard seemed to them to be wild 
beasts let loose upon them. Away they flew, the little band 



i86i.j Western Warriors. 121 

of brave men at their heels. Major White's Dragoons 
followed them into the very streets of the town. Eighty- 
four of Zagonyi's men never came back ; but by their death 
they had earned, not only fame, but the thanks of Union- 
loving people. That night the National flag waved over 
Springfield. 

Affairs now looked more cheering than for a long time. 
The prospect of driving the Confederates out of Missouri 
was encouraging to the Federals who had been so persever- 
ing. But just at this crisis, when a battle was expected 
at any moment. General Fremont was relieved from com- 
mand ; Major-General David Hunter, who was already on 
his way, had been given the head of that department. 

Complaints against General Fremont had been made early 
in his administration of affairs. Later, a great deal of fault 
had been found with him, and every scheme that had failed 
was laid at his door. So Mr. Lincoln was forced to yield 
to the pressure brought to bear upon him, and reluctantly 
removed General Fremont from command. 

General Fremont was a good soldier, therefore he knew 
how to obey. When the order arrived for his removal, he 
was upon the eve of a battle. One hundred and ten of 
his officers begged him to lead them to fight the enemy. 
This he promised to do if General Hunter did not arrive 
before the next morning. But Hunter came that night, and 
so Fremont's duty was done. He was devotedly loved by his 
soldiers, and it was a heavy blow to them to exchange for 
a stranger a leader to whom they were so attached. General 
Fremont made a touching address to his soldiers, in which 
he bade them farewell, and urged them to go on as they had 
begun, adding, " and give to my successor the same cordial, 
enthusiastic support with which you have encouraged me." 

The next day, with his staff, General Fremont returned 
sadly to St. Louis. There he was received with every dem- 



122 Voinig Folks' History, of the Civil War. ti86i. 

onstration of respect. A grand reception was given him. A 
torchlight procession paraded in his honor, and cheers and 
shouts rent the air. Finally a magnificent sword was pre- 
sented to him, upon which was the inscription, "To the 
Pathfinder, by the Men of the West." 

The famous Body-Guard was disbanded ; but it still lives 
in history, for the wife of General Fremont has preserved 
its record in a book called " The Story of the Body-Guard." 
General Hunter assumed command of the Department of 
Missouri on the 4th of November. 

He did not remain very long in that position, however ; for 
within a week he was sent to the Department of Kansas, and 
Major-General Henry W. Halleck immediately took the 
position made vacant in Missouri, with headquarters in St. 
Louis. 

General Halleck took very vigorous measures to establish 
order and discipline, both in the army and outside of it. 

The Unionists in Missouri had suffered cruel persecution 
at the hands of their rebel neighbors since the war began. 
These poor creatures crowded into St. Louis half naked, 
homeless, and starving, and claimed the protection of the 
Government authorities. Feeling that the secessionists ought 
to contribute to the relief of those who had suffered for their 
treason. General Halleck ordered them to give liberally for 
that purpose, in " money, food, or quarters." But he was 
not so tender toward the negro refugees as he had been 
with the whites. He would not allow a slave to enter his 
lines, because he was afraid that the secrets of the camp 
would thus fall into the enemy's hands. No doubt his 
motives were right. But it was proved, before the war was 
over, that he might have trusted the negroes, for they were 
always loyal to the Union. 

While this change of commanders was taking place in the 
Northern army, Price was advancing. 



t86i,] Western Warriors. 1 23 

In reply to a rousing appeal, about five thousand rebels 
were persuaded to join him. General John Pope, command- 
ing the Union army in Central Missouri, undertook to keej) 
these recruits from reaching Price's main army. Pope was 
able, luckily, to carry out his purpose; for by the i8th of 
December, over fourteen hundred prisoners had been cap- 
tured from the rebels, as well as two supply-trains. 

Hearing of this, Price rapidly fell back, pursued by Gen- 
eral Pope and General Samuel R. Curtis, who had lately been 
appointed to the head of the Department of the South-west. 

So Price was finally driven out of Missouri ; and, although 
he and General McCuUoch were not very good friends, they 
joined their forces in Arkansas early in 1862, where we will 
leave them to recover from the long marches and the sixty 
battles and skirmishes that had been fought in Missouri 
during the past six months. 



124 Voung Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 



CHAPTER IX. , 

ODDS AND ENDS. 

KENTUCKY, like Missouri, was a slave State. Her gov- 
ernor, Beriah Magoffin, was a thorough secessionist, 
tn reply to the President's call for troops, he telegraphed : 
'' Your despatch is received. In answer, I say emphatically 
that Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose 
of subduing her sister States." 

He had no authority for giving this answer, as Kentucky 
had not been consulted ; and there is little doubt, that, at a 
word of encouragement from its officers, the State would 
have gone with the North as a whole. As it was, however, 
a quarrel sprang up, and a most unhappy state of things was 
brought about. In the Legislature, the Union party was the 
stronger ; so that Governor Magoffin was at least restrained 
from taking the State into the Confederacy, where his heart 
was. After much argument, it was therefore agreed to keep 
the State strictly neutral ; but it is so natural to take sides, 
that, after a while, enhstments for both armies began. People 
were divided in their opinions, but the Union sentiment 
prevailed throughout the State. 

The President, however, had no idea of allowing Ken- 
tucky to fall into disloyal hands. Arms were sent to citizens 
who loved the Union and wished to stay in it. It was not 
long before Camp Joe Holt was established near Louisville, 
and Camp Dick Robinson, in the eastern part of the State. 
Major Anderson, of Fort Sumter fame, now General Ander- 



i86i.] 



Odds and Ends. 



125 



son, was placed at the head of the Department of the Cum- 
berland, which included Kentucky and Tennessee. 

You will see, by consulting your map, that these States lie 
on the east bank of the Mississippi, being divided by that 
river from the States of Missouri and x\rkansas. We already 
know how disloyal Missouri was. Early in May, Tennessee 
was induced by her traitor Governor and Legislature to join 
the Confederacy, al- 
though there were ma- 
ny Unionists within her 
boundaries who were 
displeased with the act. 
On the very same day 
Arkansas became a 
Confederate State. 

Now, you will see 
that the Mississippi 
River makes a sudden 
bend just where Illinois 
comes down like a 
wedge between Mis- 
souri and Kentucky. In 
this curve were the 
towns of Cairo and 
Bird's Point, both of 

which would be very desirable places for either army to 
occupy ; and both sides meant to have them. 

Kentucky's neutrahty did not keep rebel soldiers out of 
her borders. Major-General Gideon J. Pillow, at the head 
of a large force, was pushing north, through Tennessee ; and 
Major-General William J. Hardee was making for the same 
quarter, through Missouri. It was therefore very necessary 
to the Confederate cause that Kentucky should become a 
rebel State, no matter how the people felt about it. 




NEW BOOTS FOR OLD. 



126 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

General Leonidas Polk was commander-in-chief of this 
department. Like most of the leaders in the Confederate 
army, General Polk was a graduate of West Point. Soon 
after he had finished his studies, he left the army to enter 
the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was 
very successful in his profession ; and, at the opening of 
the war, he was the bishop of Louisiana. He thought it 
his duty, however, to return to the army ; and early in the 
Rebellion he took the field, with the rank of major-general. 
Bishop Polk was a slaveholder. In conversation with the 
senior bishop of his church, upon the subject of leaving the 
church For the army, he said, "We fight for our hearth- 
stones and our altars : above all, we fight for a race that has 
been by Divine Providence intrusted to our most sacred 
keeping." This shows how differently good men, who love 
and fear God, can look upon the same subject, and act con- 
scientiously in entirely different ways. 

General Polk's headquarters were at Memphis, Tennessee. 
He ordered New Madrid to be fortified, and urged General 
Pillow to make haste in taking possession of Bird's Point 
and Cairo. Seeing the great danger, should such a thing 
happen. General Fremont had already occupied these two 
towns with a force of about four thousand men. This for a 
time upset the Confederate plan. A little later, however, 
General Polk seized Columbus and Hickman, two towns in 
Kentucky. 

General Ulysses S. Grant was at Cairo, only a few miles 
north, too near to be an agreeable neighbor, especially as 
Union troops were well established at Paducah, back of 
Columbus, to the east, where the Tennessee River flows into 
the Ohio. It seems almost a waste of breath to tell you 
who General Grant was, for he has been the President 
of the United States within the memory of the youngest 
reader. 



i86i.] Odds and Ends, 129 

Still, perhaps you may not know that he was also a West 
Point graduate, who early in his career had served in the 
war with Mexico, having been promoted to a captaincy for 
his courage. He was not in the army when the war broke 
out; but he soon entered the volunteer service, and was 
again promoted. This time he was chosen colonel of an 
Illinois regiment, and was very soon made brigadier-general 
of volunteers, in which position we find him at Cairo. 

While General Polk was getting ready to attack the Union 
forces on the Mississippi, the Confederate general, Simon B. 
Buckner, made a bold attempt to seize Louisville, Kentucky. 
The usual preparation for a surprise was made by cutting 
the telegraph wires. 

Having captured the Louisville and Nashville Railway, the 
rebels were rapidly nearing the city of Louisville before the 
plot was discovered. The usual trains failed to reach Louis- 
ville in time ; and, being unable to get a telegram over the 
wires, the president of the railway sent out an engine to 
learn the reason. Of course. General Buckner kept the 
engine and the secret too. A fireman, however, succeeded 
in getting a hand-car, and hastened to Louisville to tell the 
news. There was no time to spare ; and, indeed, nothing 
could have been done in so short a time to resist so large a 
force, but for the loyalty of a young man in the service of 
the railroad. Suspecting that the long train full of soldiers 
meant no good, he seized a crowbar, and, running to a 
curve in a deep cut near Green River, he tore up four rails. 
This, of course, threw the train off the track, and delayed it 
for twenty-four hours. The young man was taken, but es- 
caped soon after, in the confusion which followed. General 
Anderson did not wait for General Buckner's arrival ; but, 
under the command of General Wilham T. Sherman, he put 
his troops in motion, to meet the visitors. 

In the mean while, the Confederates, having heard of the 



I30 Young Folks' Hist of y of the Civil War. [1861. 

advance of the Unionists, fell back to Bowling Green, which 
was their headquarters for several months afterward. 

General Anderson's health failing, he retired from active 
service ; and General Sherman was given command of the 
Department of the Cumberland. This was in October. 
Early in November, General Grant made a demonstration at 
Belmont, with the idea of threatening Columbus, so as to 
keep General Polk busy while a force was sent in pursuit of 
the notorious Jefferson Thompson and his guerilla band. 

The attack upon Belmont was at first very successful. It 
was made with three thousand men in four transport-boats, 
escorted by the gunboats Tyler and Lexington. The Union- 
ists had already driven the rebels out of their camp and set 
fire to it. They were getting off with horses, guns, and 
prisoners, when General Polk opened a heavy fire upon 
them, and sent General Cheatham to cut them off from 
their boats. It was a hard fight for a little while ; but at 
length the Unionists once more embarked, and returned to 
Cairo, having lost nearly five hundred men. General Grant 
himself narrowly escaped capture, having been last to get on 
board the boat. Many deeds of daring were done on both 
sides. Captain Walke, who commanded the Tyler, having 
heard that in the confusion some of his men were left be- 
hind, turned his gunboat back, and in the face of the enemy 
rescued them all. 

While these things were going on, Brigadier-General Zol- 
licoffer was making the lives of the Union men in Tennessee 
and Kentucky a burden to them. His soldiers plundered 
friend and foe without mercy, and treated the loyal inhab- 
itants of those States with the utmost cruelty. Several skir- 
mishes occurred during the autumn, in all of which, how- 
ever, General Zollicoffer was beaten. But late in November, 
Buckner made a sudden advance, driving the Nationals out 
of the southern part of Kentucky. Taking advantage of the 




SOLDIERS IN CAMP. 



i86i.] Odds and Ends. 133 

situation, the Confederates set up a new state government 
and passed an ordinance of secession. 

Meanwhile, General Don Carlos Buell had been placed 
in command of this department, in the place of General 
Sherman. 

There was an irregular kind of warfare employed in those 
days, which was more successful than respectable. Lawless 
bands, called ''guerillas," who were led by men of desper- 
ate character and undaunted courage, raided upon and plun- 
dered the peaceful inhabitants of the country through which 
they roamed. When General Hunter entered Kansas at the 
head of that department, a noted guerilla chief, named Gor- 
don, with his band, was making depredations which it would 
make you turn pale to hear about. The worst of it was, 
that secessionists in Kansas, and, indeed, in other States, 
encouraged these guerillas. To put an end to such a state 
of things. General Hunter took a very sure way. He called 
upon the officers of the county where this Gordon was com- 
mitting his worst crimes, and said to them, " Gentlemen, I 
give you notice, that unless you seize and deliver to me the 
said Gordon at these headquarters within ten days, or drive 
him out of the country, I will send a force to your city, with 
orders to reduce it to ashes, and to burn the house of every 
secessionist in your county, and to carry away every negro." 
Such plain talk showed that he was in earnest : therefore, for 
a while at least, there was an end to such things in Kansas. 

Under a different name, Texas suffered from the same class 
of people. They called themselves " Texan Rangers ; " and 
a prominent leader. Colonel Henry H. Sibley, who had once 
belonged to the United States army, was their leader. These 
people were of the worst sort. They did not kill their prey 
so much for the love of the rebel cause as for plunder. 
Some of them were frightful creatures, half-wild, carrying a 
rifle, a tomahawk, a bowie-knife, a revolver, and a lasso for 



134 Vo^/fi^ Folks' History of the Civil War, [1861. 

catching and throwing an enemy's horse. They looked as 
shaggy as the mustang ponies which they rode. Colonel E. 
R. S. Canby did much to rid Texas and New Mexico of 
these people, who were far worse to meet in ambush than 
an army of rebel soldiers face to face. Nevertheless, both he 
and the famous Kit Carson were put to rout by a thousand 
Rangers, who charged down upon them like an avalanche. 
So wild was the panic of the Nationals before an attack of 
these ferocious, half-human beings, that they ran away in 
terror, incapable of firing a shot, or of obeying an order. 
For months, skirmishing continued, the Nationals usually get- 
ting beaten, although so many battles crippled the guerillas. 

At last, however. Colonel Canby pressed them so hard, that 
they were glad to get over the mountains into Mexico ; and 
Canby did not follow them. You can easily see that the 
poor Unionists scattered here and there throughout these 
States, had much to fear and to endure. In East Tennessee 
especially, their sufferings were extreme. When a person 
was suspected of loyalty to the Union, he was hunted down 
and shot. Sometimes his home was robbed and burned. 
Sometimes he was put into a rebel prison, which was worse 
than death. Bloodhounds were used to catch those who 
tried to escape to the North. While the rebels were so 
angry and furious, they did many things which it would now 
make them ashamed to remember. 

A Methodist minister, who was called " Parson Brownlow," 
was treated with the utmost cruelty. He edited the " Knox- 
ville Whig," which he made so loyal and truth-telling, that 
his enemies determined to get rid of both the paper and 
the editor. As threats did no good, they put him into the 
county jail at Knoxville, where he was confined for many 
months. Not daring to assassinate so prominent a man, 
and not being able to silence him in any other way, at last 
they sent him North across the rebel Hnes. 



i86i.i Odds and Ends. 135 

A rebel prison was but a name for the inhuman cruel- 
ties which were practised upon unhappy Union prisoners 
whose misfortune it was to be confined in them. In many 
instances death ended a captivity too horrible to be borne. 
To die suddenly upon the battle-field would be a blessing, 
compared to the agony of confinement in Libby Prison. Or^ 
if, by reason of unusual strength, some poor fellow lived 
to see the prison-doors swing open to him, it was too often 
to go forth with health and spirits broken, with the hopeless 
life of an invalid before him. 

By this time money was getting very scarce in the South. 
She had no manufactories, and depended upon her foreign 
trade for arms and clothing : so, when the first fine new uni- 
forms were rusty or worn out, she had no means to replace 
them. Then the women of the Confederate States came to 
the rescue. They dyed cloth, and made it into clothing, 
which, from its color, gave the soldiers the nickname of 
" Butternuts." 

By the end of the first year many of the men in the ranks 
were barefoot. Privations of all kinds were shared by all 
classes of Southern people. Delicate women, who had been 
reared in luxury and ease, did not hesitate to soil their soft 
fair hands in coarse labor for the sake of the Confederacy. 
They gladly sold their jewelry, clothing, bedding, books, 
any thing that would bring a price, to buy comforts for their 
beloved soldiers. Indeed, the Southern women were quite as 
true to their cause, and as determined to win it, as were the 
men. 

The Confederate money was so much below par, that is, 
worth less than one hundred cents on the dollar, that the 
cost of every thing became very high. A pair of boots cost 
twenty-five dollars. Coffee was three dollars, and tea five 
dollars, per pound ; paper was twenty-five dollars per ream. 
Salt, which is so absolutely necessary to make one's food 



136 Yo2mg Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

palatable, could scarcely be bought at any price. We, who 
saw the war at a distance, can hardly form an idea of the 
hardships suffered by the people into whose country it was 
carried. 

After the first gush of patriotic feeling at the North, South- 
ern sympathizers began to spring up. There were several 
reasons for this. Many had within the limits of the Con- 
federate States dear friends, who were in danger. Another 
reason, quite as powerful perhaps, was, that pet speculations 
in cotton, sugar, or tobacco, were going to fail if the war 
continued. Still again : the North had not been very success- 
ful, so far, in putting down the Rebellion ; and the South 
might yet succeed if it could be encouraged. So every pos- 
sible means was employed by these sympathizers to assist the 
rebels. Women, even, would manage to get through the 
lines to carry aid and comfort to the Confederates. At 
Fortress Monroe so much annoyance was caused by this, 
that no one was allowed to go South without a passport ; 
but even then some contrived to escape detection. One 
Northern woman, whose story was that she had a sick rela- 
tive in the rebel country and wished to visit him, was con- 
spicuous for the number of buttons with which her dress was 
trimmed. There were rows of big buttons and rows of little 
ones ; buttons on her sleeves and buttons on her skirt ; but- 
tons to the right of her and buttons to the left of her. At 
last the curiosity of some one being excited, questions were 
asked ; and the woman confided the fact to another woman, 
who told, that these buttons were all money, — eagles, half- 
eagles, quarter-eagles, and dollars, in gold, which she was 
sent to carry to the rebels. 

Another woman was arrested upon suspicion. Upon ex- 
amination, it was discovered that she wore a quilted petticoat 
filled with pounds and pounds of sewing-silk in skeins, in- 
stead of cotton. It was so heavy, that it had to be supported 



i86i.] 



Odds and Ends. 



137 



by straps over her shoulders. This also was, of course, in- 
tended for the use of the Confederacy. A farmer's wagon 
on its way to market was overhauled. Among the vegetables 
was found a squash of suspiciously light weight. Upon 
opening it, a package of letters was found to occupy the 
place which Nature had intended for the seeds. 




ARTILLERY SKIRMISH. 



A host of such tricks to carry aid to the blockaded South 
were constantly coming to the light. They proved that the 
Southern sympathizers, especially the women, were working 
as patiently as beavers, and as quietly as mice. But 

"The best-laid plans o' mice and men 
Gang aft a-gley." 



Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [isei. 



CHAPTER X. 

OLD MEN FOR COUNCIL, YOUNG MEN FOR WAR. 

AT the time of his appointment to his new office, Mc- 
Clellan was the most successful general who had yet 
taken any part in the war. 

Things were going like a sled over bare ground, in the 
Army of the Potomac, when General McClellan was called 
to be its leader. The " three-months " men were impatient 
to go home. The new troops, enlisted at the second call, 
were raw ; and every thing was in a state of confusion. The 
battle of Bull Run had discouraged many of the Northern 
people. The rebels were so jubilant, and sure of success, 
that their very confidence had the effect to make them 
stronger. 

General McDowell was blamed most unjustly for the 
national defeat at Bull Run. It therefore seemed necessary 
to change commanders, in order to produce at the North a 
feeling of confidence, and to rouse enthusiasm. 

The first thing that General McClellan did, was to make 
the soldiers his friends. He used to talk to them in this 
way : " Soldiers, we have had our last retreat. We have seen 
our last defeat. You stand by me, and I will stand by you, 
and victory shall be ours ! " They liked the ring of this. It 
was not long before the new commander was on the best 
of terms with his army, who called him their " Young Na- 
poleon." He made many reforms in the habits of the men. 
Among other things, he wished them to " remember the sab- 



i86i.] Old Men for Council, Young Men for War. 139 

bath day to keep it holy," which seems to have been quite 
forgotten. General McClellan knew that a good man will 
do any thing better than a bad man ; and so he tried first to 
train his army to do its duty from a desire to do right. His 
own moral character was above reproach. He insisted upon 
the most rigid obedience to orders. Dismissing such officers 
as he thought incompetent, he undertook to "re-organize," 
or to make over his army, to suit his own ideas. No money 
was spared to make the Army of the Potomac perfect in 
every detail General McDowell said of it, "There never 
was an army in the world supplied as well as ours. I believe 
that a French army half its size could live on what we waste." 
It is true that a great deal of time and money were spent 
in getting ready for action ; but, as everybody trusted the 
earnest young commander, nobody found fault. And, in- 
deed, no one could do so rightly. It takes time to drill so 
large a body of raw troops, and to teach them the art of war. 

Besides the thirty-two forts already defending Washington, 
sixteen more were built and armed in the short space of six 
weeks. Surrounded by forts as it was, and full of soldiers 
as a hive is full of bees, the city of Washington was almost 
blockaded. The rebels had built forts and planted their 
flags within a day's march of the city. Nearly all the provis- 
ion had to be brought by water, and rebel batteries were so 
placed along the Potomac as to command the boats that 
carried supplies. One of these batteries, at the mouth of 
Aquia Creek, was bombarded for several hours by the frigate 
Pawnee and some gunboats ; but they failed to silence it. 

Agents had already been sent to Europe to buy arms and 
ammunition for immediate need ; and in a short time our 
own armories were able to manufacture all tliat were wanted. 

In September General McClellan ordered a review of the 
forces on the north side of the Potomac. It was a fine sight 
to see seventy thousand well-drilled, well-uniformed soldiers 



I40 Yoinig Folks' History of the Civil War. Li:6i. 

passing in line before the President and his Cabinet. This 
army represented the best blood in the nation. Members of 
every profession were gathered here. Some one has said 
that an order somewhat like this might have been given : 
" Artists, to the front ! Poets, charge ! Lawyers, doctors, 
ministers, stand by your guns ! " and each order would have 
been answered by whole companies of men. 

General McClellan also enjoyed the distinction of counting 
two French princes among the members of his staff. The 
Compte de Paris and the Due de Chartres were .grandsons 
of King Louis Philippe, whose reign in France was ended in 
the bloody revolution of 1848. Coming to America just at 
this time, these young men offered their services to the Union 
army, were duly commissioned, and served without pay as 
aides-de-camp to General McClellan until the following 
summer. 

While this immense army was occupying the forts in and 
about Washington, hundreds of picket-guards, or sentinels, 
were keeping watch, by night and by day, at every possible 
point which the enemy could attack. No doubt it seemed 
a little thing to do, to tramp, tramp, tramp, up and down, 
across the end of a bridge, all night long. But one night 
William Scott was caught sleeping at his post near the Cham 
Bridge. It was necessary to keep one's eyes wide open m 
such a place ; for this bridge spanned the Potomac near 
Washington, and the enemy was not very far from the 
opposite end. 

The punishment for such neglect is death ; and, of course, 
William was arrested. He was taken before a court-martial, 
which consists of a number of officers chosen to try a sol- 
dier for an offence, and he was sentenced to be shot. His 
friends went to Washington, and told the story to the Presi- 
dent, begging that the boy's life might be spared. 

Mr. Lincoln listened patiently, asking a great many ques- 




MCCLELLAN WITH HIS TROOPS. 



i86i.] Old Men for Council, Young Men for War. 143 

tions. He found that the sentinel was young, and that, as 
he had not slept for several nights, he was very weary. The 
President remembered that his own boys, so dear to him, 
were ready to close their eyes after one day of fatigue. So 
he freely signed the pardon. After the messenger was gone, 
Mr. Lincoln began to think about it. What if the pardon 
should not get there in time ! William Scott was to be shot 
at sunset. The President looked at his watch, and began to 
be very anxious. Then he ordered his horses to be har- 
nessed quickly ; and, getting into his carriage, this busy 
man, who commanded all the armies of the North, drove 
rapidly to the place where the condemned sentry was, and 
carried his pardon to him. So full of tender compassion 
was the heart of the man whom the South looked upon as a 
tyrant. 

Not long after the battle of Bull Run, Mr. Lincoln paid a 
visit to General W. T. Sherman, then at Fort Corcoran, near 
Washington. General Sherman was at that time the colonel 
of a volunteer regiment. It happened, that, on that morn- 
ing, a captain insisted upon his right to return home, as his 
time was up. Colonel Sherman explained to him that orders 
had been given for volunteers to remain until they were dis- 
charged. 

Still the officer expressed his intention to go. Colonel 
Sherman ended the conversation by saying, " If you attempt 
to leave without orders, it will be mutiny, and I will shoot 
you like a dog." 

The captain paused a moment, and then walked back to 
the fort. Before Mr. Lincoln's carriage arrived, the drum 
had called the " assembly ; " and in a few minutes the regi- 
ment was in line to receive him. We will let Colonel Sher- 
man tell us the story. 

" Mr. Lincoln stood up in his carriage, and made one of 
the neatest, best, and most feeling addresses I ever listened 



144 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

to, referring to our late disaster at Bull Run, the high duties 
that still devolved upon us, and the brighter days to come. 
At one or two points the soldiers began to cheer ; but he 
promptly checked them, saying, ' Don't cheer, boys. I con- 
fess I rather like it myself; but Colonel Sherman here says 
it is not military, and I guess we had better defer to his 
opinion.' " 

Before he finished his speech, he told the soldiers that he 
was their chief, and he asked any one who had any wrong 
to complain of to come to him with it. Not long after, the 
captain with whom Colonel Sherman had the difficulty in 
the morning pressed his way to Mr. Lincoln, and told him 
his story. 

"Tlireatened to shoot you?" echoed the President. 

"Yes, sir, he threatened to shoot me," the officer repeated. 

The Commander-in-Chief glanced from the captain to 
Colonel Sherman ; then, stooping down, he said in a loud 
whisper, " Well, if I were you, and he threatened to shoot, 
I would not trust him, for I believe he would do it." The 
humbled captain slipped away, and was soon lost in the 
crowd. When the President had a good chance to speak to 
Colonel Sherman of the captain and his troubles, he said, 
" Of course, I did not know any thing about it ; but I thought 
that you knew your own business best." 

These stories will give you an idea of the gentleness, 
patience, and wisdom of the man to whom was intrusted 
the responsibility and direction of the Republic. 

The Federal forces had been so constantly increased, that 
more room was needed for their accommodation ; and it 
began to be hinted that space was likely to be taken on the 
Confederate side of the Potomac. The two armies had 
stood looking at each other across the river quite long 
enough. General McClellan therefore ordered small detach- 
ments to reconnoitre in several directions in order to find 



i86i.] Old Men for Council, Yotnig Men for War, 145 

out the strength of the enemy, h. good many skirmishes 
took place in consequence, bat nothing of great importance 
occurred until late in the autumn. 

There had been two small battles at Darnestown and 
Levvinsburg, however. General McClellan now ordered 
General C. P. Stone to make a demonstration, or pretence 
of attack, upon Leesburg, in order to discover the enemy's 
strength, while General McCall was to advance upon Draines- 
ville. Scouts brought in word that a rebel encampment, not 
very well guarded, lay in a tempting position across the 
river ; and General Stone lost no time in looking for it. He 
sent a small force under Colonel Devens, from the mainland 
to Harrison's Island, which divides the stream ; and, re-em- 
barking in flatboats, they crossed to the Virginia shore of 
the Potomac. Here, with great difficulty, they climbed the 
steep, slippery bank, which is more than one hundred feet 
high, known as Ball's Bluff. They intended to surprise the 
enemy, whom the scouts thought that they had seen on this 
bluff, but which proved only to be openings in the trees, 
through which the light made moving shadows on the 
ground. They set out in the morning twilight, and kept 
pressing on till within a mile of Leesburg, but found no ene- 
my. At seven o'clock they found themselves in an open field, 
with woods on three sides, and on the fourth the river, at the 
foot of the steep embankment of Ball's Bluff behind them. 

Here they were ordered to wait for re-enforcements. These 
came at last, under Colonel Baker, who immediately took 
command as acting brigadier-general. The woods swarmed 
with rebels, like mosquitoes in a swamp, who had been watch- 
ing them, unseen. Well aware that there were plenty of 
soldiers within sound of the firing, and expecting assistance 
from General McCall and General Smith, the Nationals stood 
their ground manfully. They did not know that these re- 
enforcements had been ordered in another direction, and 



146 Yoimg Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

were already marching away. The Confederates, having all 
the advantage, showed no pity, crowding their victims nearer 
and nearer the bluff at every volley. Hotter and hotter still, 
the battle grew. Colonel Baker was killed while leading and 
encouraging his men. Finally the Nationals were thrown 
into confusion and forced over the bluff, and down its slip- 
pery banks. All but one of their boats were gone. Upon 
that they placed their wounded, but it was so overloaded 
that it quickly sank. As it filled and went down, the cries 
and shrieks of the helpless victims were piteous to hear. 

Of those left on the river-banks, some seized floating logs, 
others tried to swim across the river. Still the Confederates 
fired upon them mercilessly, and many a soldier was shot 
while struggling in the water. Colonel Charles Devens swam 
the river on his horse. 

The Federal loss on that sad day was one thousand men, 
three hundred of whom were drowned or killed in battle : 
the rest were wounded or taken prisoners. Somebody was 
to blame for this terrible defeat : so General Stone was ac- 
cused, and even arrested and imprisoned ; but he was after- 
wards acquitted of the charge, released, and served with 
credit under General Banks. 

The Confederate who .shall write a history of the battle of 
Ball's Bluff for boys and girls, although he will call it the 
battle of Leesburg, will blush to tell these things, we hope, 
and will only say, " We won the fight," without giving the 
particulars. 

In Colonel Edward D. Baker's death the country mourned 
a hero. Charles Sumner has called him " the Prince Rupert 
of battle." Left an orphan at an early age, he supported 
himself and a younger brother by weaving. Like all men 
who have become truly great, he spent every spare hour in 
reading. While still young, the brothers came to Illinois 
and found their way to Springfield. 




BATTLE OF BALL'S BLUFF. 



iS6i.] Old Men for Coniicily YotcjigMenfor War. 149 

Edward, the eldest, soon began the study of the law, and 
became one of the leading lawyers of the West. He was 
sent to Congress, where he was distinguished for his honesty 
of purpose and gentle manners. Later he removed to Cali- 
fornia, and afterward to Oregon. When Sumter was fired 
upon, he raised the celebrated " California Regiment," which 
remained under his command till he fell pierced with six 
ghastly wounds. 

In his heroic death, Colonel Baker was not alone. Lieu- 



VOLUNTEER HOSPITAL. 



tenant Putnam, of whom the city of Boston may well be 
proud, blameless and unselfish in his life, was mortally 
wounded. The surgeon hastened to him ; but he refused 
even to allow his wound to be examined until others had 
been attended to, since he knew that he must die, while 
some other poor fellow could thus be saved. 

Ten days after the disaster and defeat at Ball's Bluff, Gen- 
eral Scott, who had become too aged and infirm for active 
duty, resigned his position as commander-in-chief of the 
army. After fifty-two years of loyal service to his country, 
this honored veteran's resignation was accepted with pro- 



150 Young Folks History, of the Civil War. [1861. 

found and sincere regret. He was born in Virginia, entered 
the United- States service in 1808 as captain, was made lieu- 
tenant-colonel in 18 1 2, and was thereafter rapidly promoted 
for gallantry. In the war with Mexico he so distinguished 
himself, that he received a vote of thanks from both houses 
of Congress ; and the rank of lieutenant-general was created 
for him. He once received the nomination of the Whig 
party as its candidate for the Presidency of the United States. 
The resignation of General Scott was made the occasion for 
the review of his military career, and the country echoed 
with his praises. 

The eyes of the whole nation were now turned toward 
General McClellan as the man to fill the vacant place ; espe- 
cially as his name had been suggested by the retiring general- 
in-chief. The appointment was hailed with delight by the 
people ; and the soldiers said, " Now we will have for our 
leader a young man like ourselves, who will fight with us." 
The cry, " On to Richmond ! " rose louder than ever. 

Richmond was the real seat of the Confederate power, 
just as Wasliington was our own national centre ; and the 
people and the press were eagerly clamoring for its capture. 

In the same autumn General Robert E. Lee was appointed 
commander-in-chief of the Confederate forces in Virginia. 
General Floyd, whom you remember as President Buchanan's 
Secretary of State, and who afterward held an office in the 
rebel cabinet, now entered the field in person. He com- 
manded a wing of the rebel army in West Virginia. You 
know enough about General Floyd already; but the ac- 
quaintance of General Lee will be more agreeable, as well as 
profitable. Educated at West Point, he served in the army 
of the United States until the war began. He was grandson 
of that gallant Harry Lee who was Washington's great friend. 
Not only was General Lee a good soldier, but every Chris- 
tian grace helped to make his character noble. Owing tc* 



i86i.] Old Men for Cotincil, Young Men for War. 151 

his birth and early training, he was a slaveholder. Now he 
suddenly found himself obliged to take one side or the 
other, and in any case he must take arms against his dear 
friends. It is said that he shed tears in the struggle to make 
up his mind honestly, to which side he ought to offer him- 
self. Since the war, it has been stated, that, before this 
choice was made. General Lee was offered the command 
of the Union army. When, at last, he chose the service of 
the Rebellion, there is no doubt that he acted from a real 
desire to do right. Through our Northern spectacles it is 
hard to see this. But, in talking about this civil war, we 
must try to keep in mind the fact that Southern men thought 
the National Government just as tyrannical, as Northern 
men thought them rebellious. 

General Lee took the field in person. His army was 
especially intended to oppose General Rosecrans, who suc- 
ceeded General McClellan in West Virginia. Floyd's object 
was to push between Rosecrans and General John D. Cox, 
who commanded the other wing of the Union army. Floyd 
therefore speedily intrenched himself at Carnifex Ferry on 
the north bank of the Gauley River, where his position was 
so advantageous that a very small force might hold it. The 
Gauley River is in the south-west part of Virginia, usually 
called the Kanawaha Valley. 

In September, Rosecrans issued a proclamation offering 
protection to all loyal people of West Virginia. Learning 
that General Floyd was at Carnifex Ferry, he hastened in 
that direction. Cox in the mean time had pushed on ; and 
the rebel general. Wise, who was intrenched at Charlestown, 
became alarmed, and fled without firing a shot ; and General 
Cox immediately took possession of the place. Rosecrans, 
with ten thousand men, now met Floyd on the banks of the 
Gauley. General Benham's brigade was in advance ; and 
the Tenth Ohio Regiment, under Colonel Lytle, led the way. 



152 Yo7Uig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

The battle was short but severe. In the height of the 
action, when it seemed as if energy and skill might carry the 
day against odds, General Rosecrans ordered the withdrawal 
of his troops to wait till the morning. But, when morning 
came, not a rebel was to be seen. Floyd had stolen away in 
the dark, not caring to meet so desperate an enemy a second 
time. After pursuing Floyd a little way, Rosecrans returned 
to his strong position on the Gauley. 

The battle of Garni fex Ferry was regarded as a national 
victory at the North, on account of the military position 
which had been gained. 

A part of General Rosecrans' army, under General John 
F. Reynolds, had been left in the Cheat Mountain country, 
to keep General Lee in check. He succeeded so well in 
doing this, that, after a few skirmishes, Lee retreated, and 
joined Floyd, still'farther south. 

It was during one of these fights that Lieutenant-Colonel 
John A. Washington was killed. He was a member of Gen- 
eral Lee's staff, and the former owner of Mount Vernon, the 
home of General Washington. 

General Wise and General Floyd were not the best of 
friends ; and, in order to keep the peace. Wise was ordered 
to return to Richmond. Rosecrans had been re-enforced, 
and now occupied so strong a position, that Lee did not 
choose to attack him. 

In October, Lee was also recalled to Richmond, leaving 
the field to Floyd. The Nationals, therefore, turned their 
attention to him. This was not at all to his mind, for he 
ran away without stopping to carry his tents or ammunition. 
Benham pursued ; but, as he was recalled before he had 
gone very far, the fugitives escaped, and West Virginia was 
relieved of the presence of General Floyd. 

General John F. Reynolds and General Robert H. Milroy 
were busy all this time in other parts of West Virginia ; and 



I 1861.] Old Men for Council, Yonng Men fo7' War. 153 

little by little the Union army crowded its way farther and 
still farther south, until, "at the end of 1861, not a rebel 
uniform or picket was to be seen west of the Cumberland 
Mountains." 

The Army of the Potomac had gone into winter-quarters 
at Washington. It is true, much had been done in the 
twelvemonth since Major Anderson had removed to Fort 
Sumter; but the people had looked for greater things. 
They were getting impatient to strike a blow which would 
end the war, and send their soldiers home again. The daily 
message, "All quiet along the Potomac," was sent over the 
wires until it began to be laughed at. The autumn was 
unusually fine and clear. Nobody could guess why this 
active, enthusiastic young general, who had promised so 
much, lingered on the safe side of the river. "What is 
such fine weather for, if not for fighting?" one officer asked 
another. "What are they waiting for?" "Why do they 
not attack the rebels in their own country?" the people at 
home asked. More than twenty years have failed to answer 
the question. 



154 Vonng Folks History of the Civil War. Ii86t 



CHAPTER XL 

ON THE SEA. 

THERE is a custom which forbids eating with one's 
knife, or wearing one's hat in the house. While a 
person cannot be hanged for doing these things, well-bred 
society is offended if this unwritten law be broken, and the 
one who breaks it is considered rude and unmannerly. So 
there is a law which governs the conduct of one nation 
toward another, which, though also unwritten, each is bound 
in honor to keep. This law does not allow one nation to 
meddle with another's affairs. 

Forgetting how it had come about, England had long 
blamed the United States for holding slaves. Indeed, she 
had been very severe in her fault-finding ; and, whenever 
an American abolitionist chanced to visit that country, he 
was petted and feasted on account of his principles. It was 
therefore very natural that the North should expect England's 
" God-speed," when civil war was declared ; for she knew very 
well that slavery was the root of all the trouble. To the sur- 
prise of everybody, however, she was greatly put out about it. 
Can you guess the reason ? 

Suppose that you were to hire a boy to bring you a bushel 
of chestnuts, and he had a dog to draw his wagon. If you 
saw him beating and abusing the poor beast, you would be 
sorry for the animal, and scold the boy well. But if a police- 
man were to arrest the boy, and take the dog away from him, 
so that he could not bring you your chestnuts, making you 



i86i.] On the Sea, 157 

the sufferer instead of the dog, it would be another thing. 
You would lose the chestnuts through the meddling of the 
policeman, and you might be vexed with him. 

That was the way in which England felt. She has so litde 
land in her dominions, that her rents are very high, and her 
people cannot make a living by farming : so there are a great 
many factories, or mills, where all kinds of cloth are made, 
to which her people must look for employment. Now, she 
must have cotton to work with ; and all the cotton came 
from the South, being raised by slaves. If her trade with 
the South were stopped, or if the slaves were to be set free 
so that there would be no one to raise the cotton, her mills 
would be idle, and her own pocket would suffer. 

With the wind in this quarter, England's opinion flew 
around in a twinkling, like a weather-vane. The trouble in 
America was a civil war, or home rebellion ; and outside 
countries had no right to interfere. Great Britain, which in- 
cludes England, Scotland, and Ireland, became alarmed at 
the idea of losing so much money as seemed likely, and she 
grew very angry with the policeman who had taken away the 
dog. Then she began to help the South in every possible 
way where it would not be found out. She knew that this 
nation could not afford to declare war against her at such a 
time : so she bullied us, just as you have seen a strong, 
healthy boy threaten a lame one. 

At Glasgow, in Scotland, men-of-war were built for the 
Confederates. The bonds of the rebel government were 
taken in England, and in Scotland too. But one cannot 
feel very sorry to know that their loss was greater than their 
gain, in the end, when the war was over. Without giving 
direct permission to fit out blockade-runners to trade with 
the Confederacy, Lord Palmerston, then Premier of England, 
at least winked at the practice. He virtually said to English 
ship-owners, " If you are caught, I cannot help you, because 



IS8 Young Folks' Histojy of the Civil War. [1861. 

that would involve the nation in trouble ; but you might as 
well try it on your own account and at your own risk, for 
our mills must have cotton from somewhere." From first to 
last, England sent more blockade-runners to Southern ports 
than all the other nations put together. 

Soon after the battle of Bull Run, the Confederate General 
John E. Magruder, with a body of Virginians, made an un- 
successful attempt to surprise Fortress Monroe. A rebel 
deserter swam across Hampton Creek, from the town, and 
gave warning ; so that, when Magruder arrived, the neces- 
sary arrangements had been made to receive him. That 
night the town of Hampton was burned by the disloyal 
Virginians to save it from falling into Union' hands. The 
old Episcopal Church was not even spared. Dating back 
nearly two hundred years, it contained memorial stones 
bearing the name and crest of many a cavalier and gentle- 
man of the olden time, and was a precious heirloom from 
the first colony in Virginia. 

About the middle of August, Major-General John E. Wool 
was ordered to the command of the Federal troops at For- 
tress Monroe ; General Butler taking duty elsewhere. 

It had come to the ears of Commodore S. H. Stringham 
that English blockade-runners were doing a brisk business 
on the coast of North Carolina. The commodore told 
General Buder, who, in turn, sent the news to Washington. I 
Butler's hint was taken, and an expedition was immediately 
fitted out to put a stop to the trade with the blockaded 
coast. General Butler commanded the land force, and the • 
squadron was placed in charge of Commodore Stringham. 
The Minnesota was the flag-ship of the fleet, and two other 
fifty-gun frigates bore her company. Besides these, there 
were several smaller vessels, carrying in all eight hundred I 
and eighty soldiers and seamen with necessary supplies. On 
the evening of the second day, the little flotilla found itself 



i86i.] On the Sea. l6l 

off Cape Hatteras, just where the inlet of the same name 
opens from the Atlantic into PamUco Sound. Look at it on 
your map, and you will understand that this inlet was a key 
to the water-communication of the coast of North CaroHna. 
On the western part of Hatteras Island were two forts, Hat- 
teras and Clark, under the command of the Confederate 
Commodore, S. Barron. The third morning the bombard- 
ment began, and lasted all day without producing any ap- 
parent result. The fourth morning it began again, and 
forced the surrender of the forts at noon. The Union fleet 
returned with seven hundred and fifteen prisoners, including 
Commodore Barron. Of course, the Confederate guns and 
ammunition were captured. Great credit was given to the 
two commanders by whose skill and energy this important 
work was done. 

Still following the Atlantic coast, we will go as far south as 
Florida, where, a few months ago, we left our old friend 
Colonel Harvey Brown, commanding Fort Pickens. The 
garrison had been increased from eighty-two to eight hun- 
dred and eighty men. This you already know. Still other 
re-enforcements were sent, and among them Wilson's Zou- 
aves of New York, a regiment recruited from among the very 
worst men of the city. 

Early in September, Colonel Brown learned that the rebels 
meant to float their dry-dock from the Pensacola Navy Yard 
to the narrowest point in the channel, and there sink it. To 
prevent such a blockade, Lieutenant Shipley, with a picked 
crew, rowed over to the dry-dock, one dark night, set fire to 
it, and returned in safety to Santa Rosa Island, having in- 
flicted upon the Confederates a loss of half a million dollars. 

Another exploit of the garrison at Fort Pickens shall be 
be given in the words of a Confederate eye-witness : — 

" The enemy executed last night the most brilliant and daring act 
which has yet marked the history of the war, . . . Last night, Sept. 13, 



1 62 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

they made a most daring and reckless raid upon the Navy Yard. 
About three o'clock in the morning, five launches, containing about 
thirty men each, pulled across from Santa Rosa Island to the Navy 
Yard, a distance of about two miles. Each launch had in it a small 
brass howitzer on a pivot. They were led by an officer with the cour- 
age of forty Numidian lions. Under cover of the darkness, silently, 
with muffled oars, they approached the wharf, and were not discovered 
till very near it. They then pulled rapidly toward the largest schooner 
in our harbor, and grappled to her, when their daring leader shouted, 
' Board her ! ' leading the way himself, with a cutlass in one hand and 
a blazing fireball in the other. lie threw the flambeau into the hold 
of the schooner, and, feeling sure that she was on fire, he ordered his 
men to take to their launches, and pull for their life. They pulled off 
a short distance ; but before going they sent back a shower of grape 
from their howitzers, directed upon our men as they were forming. 
The schooner burned rapidly ; and we had to cut her loose from the 
wharf to save it from destruction." 

In October, an expedition against Fort Pickens was under- 
taken by the Confederate General Anderson, with twelve 
hundred picked men. Landing on Santa Rosa Island soon 
after midnight, they marched straight to the Zouave camp. 
It was a complete surprise. The conflict between two bodies 
of men having such choice fighting qualities was desperate. 
The Zouaves, being outside the fort, received help too late 
to serve them much, and their camp was nearly destroyed. 
Officers and men lost their clothing and nearly every thing 
else which they had. On both sides, several prisoners were 
taken. Still later in the season. Colonel Brown opened fire 
upon the enemy's batteries, which extended for a distance 
of four miles on the mainland. At the end of two days' 
hard fighting, they were silenced, and the Navy Yard at 
Pensacola was l)urhed. Fort Pickens was not much injured 
by tlie shots wliich it received ; and the frigates Niagara and 
Richmond, which also took part in the action, escaped with- 
out serious harm. 

One night in this same October, under cover of the dark. 



i86i.j On the Sea. 1 63 

a steamer slipped out of Charleston harbor, carrying two men 
who afterward made a great stir in the world on account 
of this voyage. Their names were James M. Mason, of Vir- 
ginia, a Confederate envoy or message-bearer to the govern- 
ment of Great Britain, and John Slidell, of Louisiana, who 
was sent on the same errand to France. This Mason was 
the father of the Fugitive-slave Law. The ship in which they 
sailed did not go directly across the sea, but ran southward 
to Cuba, and landed its passengers at Havana. Then an 
English mail-steamer, named the Trent, took them aboard 
and started for England. These envoys were no doubt going 
over to see if they could get the governments of France 
and Great Britain to recognize the Confederacy. Perhaps, 
too, they needed more help to carry on the war. 

Some little bird might have whispered this to Captain 
Wilkes, of the United-States steamer San Jacinto. At any 
rate, he was watching for this British craft. When about 
two hundred miles out at sea, Captain Wilkes signalled the 
Trent to stop. The Trent went on, however, hoisting the 
English colors, but taking no other notice of the signal. 
Then the San Jacinto ran up the stars and stripes, and sent 
a shot across her bows. This was more to the purpose. 
She stopped, or " hove to " as sailors say, and asked what 
was wanted. The answer was, " We will send a boat." 
Lieutenant Fairfax pushed off, and soon boarded the Trent. 
At first, the two men who had caused this visit refused to go 
with the officer whom Captain Charles Wilkes had sent, one 
of them saying that it would take considerable force to take 
him on board the San Jacinto. But, when they saw that they 
would be compelled to go, they changed their minds ; and 
these gentlemen and their secretaries were conveyed to the 
San Jacinto, where they were politely received by Captain 
Wilkes. Their papers were not disturbed ; and their fami- 
lies, who were allowed to remain on the English steamer, 
proceeded on their way. 



164 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

Mason and Slidell were taken to Fort Warren, in Boston 
harbor, as prisoners of war, where for once there was no 
secession in the air they breathed. At first. Captain Wilkes 
was praised by everybody for his promptness and wisdom. 
A. vote of thanks was passed in his honor by the House of 
Representatives at Washington, and he was the hero of the 
hour. But Great Britain threatened instant war unless these 
men were given up. France joined in this claim ; and, 
although England had done a similar thing herself, the 
United States had always denied the right of foreign nations 
to interfere with her shipping. So, after deliberate consulta- 
tion, the authorities at Washington gave instructions to deliver 
these Confederate messengers to the British Government. 
They were quietly taken to England after having been 
delayed two months on their voyage, and so the danger of 
war with England was averted. 

In the mean time an important naval victory was won by 
the Nationals in South Carolina. Port Royal is the finest 
harbor on the southern coast. Midway between Charleston 
and Savannah, it has inside water-communication with both 
cities. 

Beaufort on Port Royal was a delightful summer-resort for 
wealthy planters. Hilton Head is the largest of the chain 
of islands forming a sort of breakwater along the coast. It 
is fomous for its "sea-island" cotton, as well as for the rice 
which grows there. The white population at that time num- 
bered about seven thousand, while there were more than four 
times as many colored people on the island. 

The destination and purpose of this expedition were a 
profound secret. The newspapers tried in every way to find 
out where it was going ; and, failing, they exhausted them- 
selves with guessing. Excepting a few of the officers, who 
commanded it, even those who took part in the expedition 
did not know where it was bound till they were well out at sea. 



i86i.] On the Sea. 165 

A fleef of nearly eighty vessels had gathered in Hampton 
Roads ; and, early one bright October morning, it sailed away 
with the Stars and Stripes flying proudly to the breeze. ' At 
Fortress Monroe the troops were drawn up in line on the 
ramparts to give the hearty God-speed which the sailors 
could not hear. Every living creature at Old Point Comfort 
seemed to have come out on the beach to see the grand 
procession as it moved out of the harbor. It was two hours 
after the booming of the signal-gun, before the last ship had 
weighed anchor ; and strains of martial music came faintly 
back as the sails faded in the distance. Commodore S. F. 
Dupont was the naval commander of the expedition. The 
soldiers, who were just as necessary, were under the charge of 
General T. W. Sherman, not General William T. Sherman, 
of whom you have already heard. The Wabash, bearing the 
pennant of the commodore, led the way ; and in three par- 
allel lines the others followed. It was a grand sight. During 
that day and the next the weather was all that heart could 
wish, and stormy Cape Hatteras was passed in safety. But, 
toward night on the third day, a storm came on with such 
fury that it scattered the fleet completely. Only one vessel 
could be seen from the flag-ship the next morning. With 
this very possibility in mind, perhaps, sealed orders had been 
given to the commander of every vessel. It now became 
necessary for them to know where they were going : so these 
orders were opened. After the storm abated, the vessels be- 
gan to gather around the Wabash, like chickens around an 
old hen. Four of the transports were lost ; but, of their 
officers and crews, all were saved except about a dozen per- 
sons. 

On the fifth day quite a little company had collected off 
Port Royal bar, and other vessels were still arriving. 

When night fell, notwithstanding the removal by the enemy 
of buoys and lights by which to direct their course, the fleet 



1 66 Yoting Folks' History of the Civil War. [1861. 

had safely passed the bar, and anchored inside the harbor 
of Port Royal. 

Let us study the position of the fleet, and mark its dan- 
gers. Here at the south lay Hilton Head Island, and upon 
it Fort Walker frowned. At the north, nearer the bar, on 
Philip Island, was Fort Beauregard. It is a singular illus- 
tration of the division of families in this unhappy time, that 
General T. F. Drayton, who commanded at Fort Walker, 
was brother of Captain Percival Drayton, who commanded 
the Pocahontas in this very Union fleet. 

Inside the harbor, lying close in to the shore, was a rebel 
flotilla called the " Mosquito Fleet," because the vessels 
composing it were so smafl. This was under the direction 
of Commodore Josiah Tatnall, who had done good service 
in the United States navy. On the morning of the 7th of 
November the Union squadron moved slowly up the bay. 

The rebel batteries on both sides gave it a warm recep- 
tion, which was acknowledged in the same spirit. When 
the engagement had lasted two hours, the flagstaff on Fort 
Walker was shot away ; and, not long after, firing ceased there 
altogether. By noon, both forts were silent. Fort Walker 
was such a ruin that the garrison was obliged to fly for 
safety to a wood. For six miles they ran, commander and 
men together, carrying their wounded in blankets, but leav- 
ing their dead behind. 

The Union vessels which were engaged bore traces of 
rebel shot, but the loss of life was very small. After the 
part of the work assigned to the navy was done, the land 
force took formal possession of the forts, hoisting the Na- 
tional flag. The town of Beaufort was seized without re- 
sistance. The next evening, seventeen boats formed a 
procession to bear the dead to their last resting-place, in 
a grove of orange-trees on the island. 

General Sherman set about strengthening the defences at 



j86i.j 0}L the Sea. 167 

Hilton Head. Dupont sent his vessels up the rivers which 
flow into the Atlantic along this coast ; so that, before the end 
of the year, the Unionists held a strong position in South 
Carolina. 

General Sherman issued a proclamation to the people of 
South Carolina, begging them to remain in their homes. He 
assured them that he did not intend to harm the citizens, 
nor destroy their property. He said he did not wish to 
meddle with their slaves, and offered them the protection of 
the Government. No white man who could read would 
accept it, insisting that there were no "loyal whites" in their 
territory. 

So, after the masters were gone. General Sherman had the 
negroes set to work. In vain they had been told, that, if they 
fell into the hands of Yankees, they would be sold into a 
worse slavery than they had yet known. At first they seemed 
afraid of being left alone, unable to comprehend that the 
Union Army had come to stay. 

Schools were very soon opened on Hilton Head Island, 
where the colored people were taught to read and write. 
When the news reached the mainland, crowds of these poor 
creatures came over to share the good-fortune which had 
come to their brethren. The aged, even, apphed themselves 
to study with eager and persevering industry. 

Very touching stories are told of the happy meetings of 
husbands and wives, parents and children, who had been 
sold away from each other years before. In Mr. Greeley's 
account of this affair, he says it was pathetic to see poor 
slaves, who had tied up all their little possessions in a hand- 
kerchief, crowding around the ships of the National fleet, 
begging to be taken on board. No doubt they hoped in 
this way to be saved from their miserable lives of " bitter 
bondage " like those of the children of Israel in Egypt. It 
is very strange that the negroes were never afraid of the 



i68 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [isei. 

Union soldier. They seemed to consider him a friend, who 
" helpeth them to right who suffer wrong." 

All the white inhabitants of the island ran away to Charles- 
ton, first, however, taking good care to burn all the cotton on 
which they could lay their hands, rather than see it gathered 
by Union men. 

Immediately after the victory at Hilton Head, Commodore 
Dupont seized Big Tybee Island, at the mouth of the Savan- 
nah River. Here is a celebrated Martello tower, which is 
very strong, although built in 1812, but which was abandoned 
even before it was attacked. The possession of this point 
enabled the Federals to keep blockade runners out of the 
Savannah River. 

Before we part company with the commander of the fleet 
which secured such a triumph, perhaps you would like to 
learn something of his personal history. Commodore Sam- 
uel Francis Dupont was a native of New Jersey. In 1815 he 
was a midshipman ; and, like General Scott, he was rapidly 
promoted for gallant conduct. He assisted in the establish- 
ment of the naval school at Annapolis in Maryland. He 
had much to do with the hghthouse system, and was earnest 
in trying to substitute some other punishment for flogging in 
the navy. In 1861 he was commandant of the Philadelphia 
Navy-Yard. Here he was thrown much with Southern offi- 
cers, and it was said that his outspoken loyalty influenced 
many of them to remain faithful to their country. " In the 
prime of life, with more than forty years' experience in his 
profession, with a well-disciplined and cultivated mind. Com- 
modore Dupont united the essential qualities and accom- 
plishments which distinguish a great naval captain. Nor 
did it detract from his abihties that he walked humbly before 
God as a Christian soldier and gentleman." 

In the mean while the famous ''stone fleet " appeared ofl" 
Charleston. A number of vessels heavily laden with stone 



i86i.] On the Sea. 160 

were sunk in a direct line from Sumter across the main 
channel. 

The British press made a great hue and cry over it. Lord 
Lyons, the English minister to the United States, remon- 
strated against it in behalf of his government. The stone 
blockade was not a success, however ; as the old vessels were 
soon washed to pieces by the action of the water. 

It must be borne in mind by the reader, that all these 
events on the sea have been taking place at the same time 
with those on the land which have been already recited. 
And this brings us to the close of the year 1861. 

But before we enter upon the new year, at the risk of 
doing an unmannerly thing, we will take a peep over the 
shoulder of Mr. Gideon Welles to see what are the resources 
of the Secretary of the Navy. On the 4th of March the 
entire navy consisted of seventy-six vessels of all classes. 
At the close of the year it had been increased to two hun- 
dred and sixty-four vessels ; and among them were iron-clad 
ships and gunboats, which had never before been used in the 
United States service. In the place of seven thousand sea- 
men there were now twenty-two thousand. 

And, not to be partial, we must look at the report of Mr. 
Simon Cameron, who holds the portfolio of the Secretary of 
War. 

When the first gun was fired, there were only sixteen thou- 
sand troops, regulars of course, at the disposal of the gov- 
ernment. In December, the army, including regulars and 
volunteers, numbered six hundred thousand, and this with- 
out draft or conscription. This also is a good showing, and 
from it we may hope for encouraging results in the year that 
is to follow. 



i;o Young Folks Histofy of the Civil War. [1861. 



CHAPTER XII. 

"TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE." 

ONE winter evening, in a hotel in St. Louis, three friends 
sat talking about the war. A map was spread out on 
the table before them, which they studied as if they were 
learning a geography lesson. 

With a big blue lead-pencil in his hand, General Halleck 
asked, "Where is the rebel line?" General Cullum, one of 
his aides, took the pencil, and drew it through Bowling Green, 
Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, and Columbus, Ky. 

"Now, where is the proper place to break it?" continued 
General Halleck. General Sherman answered, " Naturally, 
the centre of the line." Then General Halleck drew another 
mark across that one, near the middle, saying, " That's the 
true line of attack." 

This second line happened to be actually parallel with the 
course of the Tennessee River. This quiet little talk over a 
glowing fire, on that December night, affected the whole war. 

General Halleck commanded the Department of the West. 
General Grant was at Cairo ; and a part of Kentucky, Illinois, 
and Missouri had recently been added to his " military dis- 
trict." As we already know, General Don Carlos Buell had 
just been appointed to the Department of the Ohio, made up 
from a part of the States of Ohio and Kentucky. General 
Hunter was in Kansas, and General Canby in New Mexico. 
Under the direction of each of these generals were many 
others, who carried out the orders which they gave. 



i862. 



Two Heads are Better than One.'' 



171 



Before we follow General Halleck's operations " in break- 
ing the enemy's line," we must turn our attention to his 
neighbors, the better to understand the reasons for his move- 
ments. 

About the first of January the Confederate Major-General, 




JAMES A. GARFIELD. 



Humphrey Marshall, had assembled a large force at Paints- 
ville, Ky., on the Big'Sandy River. This stream flows into 
the Ohio, where it curves around the lowest point of the 
State whose name it bears. 

As this was in General Buell's department, he despatched 
Colonel James A. Garfield to drive the rebels out. Before 
Colonel Garfield reached them, they had hurried off to Pres- 



1/2 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

tonburg, which is not far away. The Nationals followed, and 
overtaking the enemy at noon, where he was well posted, 
opened the battle. "They fought like brave men, long and 
well ; " and, at dark, the gallant young colonel had com- 
pletely routed the rebels. For this service. Colonel Garfield 
was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General of Volun- 
teers. 

When the new year of 1862 canie in. General Zollicoffer 
was quartered opposite Mill Spring, on the Cumberland 
River. In the middle of December General George H. 
Thomas was directed by General Buell to advance in force 
to meet him. But the rebels, finding their position too weak 
to defend, when the time came, hastened to make the attack. 
On the 19th of January, very early in the morning, the op- 
posing armies met. The Union pickets fell back slowly, 
sending word to General Thomas that the enemy was near. 
At six the battle began in earnest. For a while it was 
doubtful which side would win. In the hottest of the fight, 
General Zollicoffer was killed. The Confederate General, 
George B. Crittenden, immediately took command ; but 
discouraged by the loss of their leader, and hard pressed by 
the Nationals, the troops did not hold out much longer. 
Away they went to their camp, pell-mell, a movement too 
disorderly to be called a retreat. It was not thought neces- 
sary to follow them very far, as the Federal guns overlooked 
the rebel works. Besides, General Thomas supposed tliem 
to be so well intrenched, that he did not think best to bom- 
bard them that night. So he waited until morning, when 
lo ! not a rebel was to be seen. Sure of defeat, they had 
decided to 

" Fold their tents like the Arabs, 
And silently steal away." 

Not only were the Union arms victorious, but the deserted 
camp was found to contain a quantity of arms and ammuni- 



i«62.] ** Two Heads are Better than One.''^ 173 

tion, which could not be carried in a flight so hasty. Gen- 
eral Crittenden retreated in the direction of Nashville. His 
soldiers suffered severely. One who shared that flight said, 
" For a whole week we have been marching under a bare 
subsistence ; and I have at length reached the point in a 
soldier's career, where a handful of parched corn may be 
considered a first-class dinner." 

Mill Spring lay upon the Cumberland River, where its 
navigation begins ; and as the rebels received supplies from 
Nashville, by the river, its occupation by the National troops 
was important. 

For some time General Grant had been urging his supe- 
rior officer, General Halleck, to give him permission to capture 
Forts Henry and Donelson. By and by Commodore A. H. 
Foote begged to be allowed to join General Grant in such 
an expedition. After much delay General Halleck gave the 
order, and the two commanders made all haste to get ready. 
The very next day after tlie order was received. General Grant 
started up the Ohio River, with a force of seventeen hundred 
men on transport boats, escorted by seven gunboats under 
the command of Commodore Foote. This was the 2d of 
February. A glance at your map will show you the direction 
which they were to take. Following the Ohio River as far 
as Paducah, which was already in Union hands, the little fleet 
moved cautiously up the Tennessee. They were wide awake ; 
for a friend had warned them that the river was full of tor- 
pedoes, many of which they " fished up," and they sailed over 
others without harm. A torpedo bears no resemblance to the 
toy of that name, with which very little children celebrate the 
Fourth of July. This was a sheet-iron cylinder, or tube, 
pointed at both ends, and containing about seventy-five 
pounds of powder. It was anchored in the channel of a 
stream, below the surface of the water. Connected with the 
powder was a slow-match, or fiise, so arranged, that, by means 



174 Vonng Folks' Hisiory of the Civil War. [1862. 

of a rod or lever extending upwards from it, a percussion-cap 
set the fuse on fire, when struck by unwary ships which might 
pass over it. 

The transports followed the gunboats closely. General 
Grant's army consisted of two divisions, under General C. F. 
Smith, and General McClernand. Early one morning this 
goodly company landed a few miles below Fort Henry, just 
where General Cullum had drawn that blue line, up and 
down. 

There were two kinds of fighting-boats employed in river 
warfare. One was a ship cut down to the deck, and fur- 
nished with a plated iron roof, which shed shot and shell as 
feathers shed the water from a duck's back. These gunboats 
were under the charge of Commodore Foote. The other 
kind was called a " ram ; " because, like a cross old sheep, it 
butted its heavy and iron-clad prow into the stanchest ships, 
staving holes in their sides. Both were well armed, and pro- 
pelled by strong engines. 

The morning of Saturday dawned brightly. All were eager 
to begin the battle ; but, owing to a heavy storm during the 
night, the roads were nearly impassable. Notwithstanding 
the utmost efforts to reach Fort Henry, firing began from the 
gunboats before the land-troops could possibly reach it in 
the rear. The battle was sliort. The brave Confederate 
General, Tilghman, who commanded Fort Henry, had sent 
off nearly all his men to re-enforce Donelson. With the few 
that remained, he held out as long as he could, directing the 
shots, and himself working one of the guns. In vain he 
tried to encourage his men. After a hard struggle, lasting 
an hour and five minutes, the little garrison surrendered, — 
ninety-four officers and men, all told. 

Commodore Foote immediately returned to Cairo, to take 
care of his wounded and scalded men. On Sunday he at- 
tended a Presbyterian Church, but no clergyman came. 



':^i 




i862.] ** Two Heads are Better than OneT 177 

Since there was no one else to conduct Divine service, 
he did not hesitate to do so. He prayed devoutly ; and he 
preached such an earnest sermon, that many of those who 
heard him were won over to the National cause. His text 
was, " Let not your hearts be troubled ; ye believe in God, 
believe also in me." Commodore Foote was an e very-day 
Christian. Always careful to keep Sunday wherever he was, 
he used to read and explain the Bible to his crew on that 
day, whenever it was possible. His motto seemed to be, 
" Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily." 

Immediately after the capture of Fort Henry, Commodore 
Foote sent three wooden gunboats, under Lieutenant Com- 
mander Phelps, up the Tennessee River as far as Florence, 
Alabama. He cut the railroad between Bowling Green and 
Memphis, by destroying the drawbridge over the Tennessee 
River, thus breaking the Confederate communication with 
Donelson. It was a very brilliant exploit, for which the offi- 
cer commanding the expedition received the highest praise. 

Six days after Fort Henry was taken, General Grant's 
troops, which had been left there, set out for Fort Donelson. 
It was a warm, soft morning ; and the birds were hardly up 
when the tramp of those fifteen thousand men broke upon 
the stillness. 

Commodore Foote was busy too. This time he led his 
fleet from Cairo up the Ohio River, beyond Paducah, up the 
Cumberland River, upon which Fort Donelson lies. The 
flotilla was delayed, which proved a very serious matter ; 
for the fort was to be attacked from both river and land 
at the same time. 

Since the fall of Fort Henry, and the escape of its garrison 
to Fort Donelson across the little strip of land which divides 
the two rivers, every means had been used by the Confed- 
erates to strengthen the defences of the latter place. The 
position of Fort Henry had been unfortunate ; for it lay close 



I yS Young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

to the water, on a low, marshy river-bank. Donelson, on the 
other hand, was built upon elevated ground, being much bet- 
ter defended than Henry. The river side was the strongei 
at Donelson ; while, at Henry, the land side was far the more 
formidable. 

Genera] Grant's army occupied a semicircle around Fort 
Donelson on the ev^ening of the 12th of February, thus in- 
cluding the litde town of Dover, which, you will see, lies very 
near the fort. Ready to make the attack, they still waited 
for the fleet to come. The next day, however, as a begin- 
ning, the Nationals attacked the Confederate pickets, and 
drove them in. This led to a cannonade in return, which 
was promptly answered by the Nationals, and was followed 
by a sharp attack upon the rebel works, which was unsuc- 
cessful. That night a storm of sleet and rain came on, 
which soon changed into a heavy fall of snow. Those who 
had started with blankets had thrown them away, or left 
them at Fort Henry, cheated by the promise of fair weather. 

All the provisions in their haversacks were gone, and no 
supplies could reach them until Commodore Foote's fleet 
should arrive. The wounded were calling for water which 
could not be given them. Many a man in each army died 
that night from cold. 

At last, on the morning of the 14th, General Lewis Wal- 
lace, who had been left at Fort Henry, arrived with his 
troops ; and, soon after, the guns of the flotilla assured them 
that more help was near. Wagons were sent at once down 
to the river to get provisions for the soldiers, and Commo- 
dore Foote began the bombardment without a moment's 
loss of time. The Carondelet, commanded by Commander 
Walke, led off the engagement. For an hour the batde 
raged furiously ; but, by that time, the batteries had so crip- 
pled the gunboats that they were obliged to withdraw. 
Commodore Foote was disabled, and fifty-four men on the 



i862.] " Two Heads arc Better than Oner 179 

Union side were killed or wounded. The two commanders, 
Grant and Foote, after consultation, decided that the flotilla 
should return to Cairo to make repairs, and to get re-enforce- 
ments. Grant was to wait, in the mean time, in such a posi- 
tion as to cut off all outside communication with the rebels. 
This was called putting them in a "state of siege," and was 
not at all liked by the Confederates. 

So Generals Floyd, Pillow, Buckner, and the other Con- 
federate generals, held a council of war. Floyd, who was 
chief, proposed to cut their way through the Union lines, 
and escape to Nashville, This plan was adopted and tried. 
Surprising General McClernand, upon whom the first attack 
was made. Pillow seemed sure of success, and telegraphed to 
the Confederate Secretary of War, that, " on the honor of a 
soldier," the day was theirs. General Lewis Wallace hast- 
ened to the relief of General John A. McClernand, but was 
in danger of being overcome by Buckner. After a short 
struggle, in which the Thirty-first Illinois, cpmmanded by 
Colonel John A. Logan, " stood like a wall opposed to the 
foe," fresh troops came to the rescue. 

During this time Grant had been absent, in conference 
with Commodore Foote. Both sides had fought bravely, 
showing the utmost coolness ; and the chances of victory 
were about equal. When General Grant returned, he took 
in the situation at a glance. He hesitated but an instant. 
Then, putting on a bold front, he ordered the retaking of a 
very important position which had been lost in the morning. 
It was indeed a happy idea, which General Smith and Gen- 
eral Wallace carried out nobly. Smith ordered his line to 
advance and lie down, firing as it lay ; which manoeuvre it 
repeated till it reached the top of the hill. At length the 
enemy was driven back within its intrenchments, and Wal- 
lace stationed his picket-line close to the Confederate works. 
Night put an end to the struggle, and General Grant was 



1 80 Young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

satisfied with the result of his day's work. The whole Fed- 
eral army felt sure of victory on the morrow. 

That night the Confederate generals held another coun- 
cil ; and, after a good deal of talk which was neither amiable 
nor courageous, they made up their minds to do the very 
thing which Grant feared that they would do, — run away. 
But how could it be done ? Did not General Wallace's bri- 
gade surround them? In order to give you an idea of these 
Confederate leaders, we will read an account of this famous 
council, which is given upon the authority of four officers 
who were present : — 

" It was agreed that the cost of an attempt to cut their way out 
would probably be the loss of the lives of three-fourths of the troops. 
' No commander,' said Buckner, ' has a right to make such a sacrifice.' 
Floyd agreed with him, and quickly said, ' Then, we will have to capitu- 
late ; but, gentlemen,' he added nervously, ' I cannot surrender. You 
know my position with the Federals — it would not do! it would 
not do ! ' Pillow then said to Floyd, ' I will not surrender myself nor 
the command : I will die fiist.^ Then said Buckner coolly, ' I suppose, 
gentlemen, the surrender will devolve upon me.' The terrified Floyd 
quickly asked, ' General, if you are put in command, will you allow me 
to take out my brigade by the river ? ' 

"'If you move before I shall offer to surrender,' Buckner replied. 
• Then, sir, I surrender the command,' said Floyd. 

" Pillow, who was next in rank, and to whom Floyd offered to 
transfer the command, quickly exclaimed, *I will not accept it : I will 
never surrender.' While speaking he turned toward Buckner, who 
said, ' I will accept, and share the fate of my command.' " 

So Floyd and Pillow slipped across the river, hidden by 
the darkness, and fled to Nashville, leaving General Buckner, 
who was not a coward, to bear the blame and disgrace of a 
surrender. You will hardly wonder at his conduct, when 
you remember that this is the same Floyd who was Secre- 
tary of War during the last few months before the South de- 
clared for secession. No doubt he feared to fall into the 



1 862.] '* Tzvo Heads are Better than One.'' i8i 

hands of the United States, to which he had proved such a 
traitor. 

This was Saturday night. The next morning, at dawn, the 
Union camp was astir, preparing to storm the enemy's works, 
when the faint sound of a bugle came to their ears. The 
next moment they saw in the dim hght a white flag flying 
from the fort, and a messenger coming toward them, bearing 
another. 

Buckner had sent to Grant to ask the terms upon which 
he must surrender. He received the answer, " No terms 
other than unconditional and immediate surrender can be 
accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." 
It was quickly over. As the Union troops marched into the 
fort that bright Sunday morning, the music of the " Star- 
Spangled Banner " sounded in their ears, and the Star-Span- 
gled Banner waved above them. Gunboats from the river 
fired salutes. The narrow stream was crowded with steam- 
ers gay with banners, and the cheers of those on board were 
echoed by those upon the banks. The next day, not know- 
ing of the surrender, two thousand Tennessee troops arrived 
to re-enforce the garrison. Of course they were captured, 
and, with the thirteen thousand at Donelson, were sent to 
Camp Douglas in Chicago, so named from Senator Stephen 
A. Douglas, and situated upon land which once had been 
his home. General Buckner and General Tilghman were 
sent to Fort Warren in Boston harbor. 

The fall of Fort Donelson broke the enemy's line of for- 
tifications, as General Halleck had intended, and discouraged 
the Confederates. But the battle-field was a scene of hor- 
ror. The Confederate loss was two hundred and thirty-seven 
killed, and a thousand wounded ; while the Nationals lost 
nearly twice that number. 

Physicians were sent from all over the West to care for 
the wounded. Ladies volunteered as nurses, tenderly watch- 



1 82 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

ing the sick. Every household was busy, doing some good 
thing for the boys who fought at Donelson. The sick and 
wounded were removed to the hospitals at Cairo and Padu- 
cah. Many a touching story is told about these poor fellows, 




FIELD HOSPITAL. 



which show what stuff the armies were made of; for the same 
spirit was shown by both sides, and the sufferers, whether in 
blue or in gray, met with the same kindness. 

Mrs. Hoge, who was among the first of these good women 
to volunteer, describes the hospital at Cairo with its twelve 
hundied beds, clean bed-linen, the room trimmed with apple- 



i862.] " Tivo Heads are Better than OiieT 183 

blossoms, till one can picture its almost home-like comfort. 
A youth of nineteen attracted her attention by his patient 
smile. He had been shot at Donelson in both arms and 
both legs, and lay wrapped like a mummy, utterly helpless. 
She asked him how long he lay on the battle-field. " From 
Saturday morning till Sunday evening, and then I was 
chopped out, for I was frozen fast." 

"Why were you left there so long?" — "Well, you see 
they couldn't stop to bother with us, because they had to 
take the fort." 

Mrs. Hoge asked if he did not think his friends cruel to 
neglect him. " Of course not," was the reply. " How could 
they help it? They had to take the fort; and when they 
did, we forgot our sufferings, and cheers went up from all 
over the battle-field, even from the dying. Men that had 
only one arm raised that." 

" Did you suffer much ? " — "I don't like to think of that," 
he answered ; " but the doctor says that I won't lose an arm 
or leg, so I'll have another chance." 

Another brave and noble boy fell wounded at Donelson. 
He was taken to Paducah hospital, where he was kindly 
cared for. " Oh ! I am going to die, and there is no one to 
love me," he said. " I did not think that I was going to die 
till now ; but it cannot last long. If my sisters were only 
here ! but I have no friends near me, and it is so hard." 

" Frankie," said a lady who nursed him, " I know that it 
is hard to be away from your relatives ; but you are not 

friendless. I am your friend, Mrs. S and the doctor are 

your friends, and we will all take care of you. More than 
that, God is your friend ; and He is nearer to you now than 
either of us can get. Trust Him, my boy : He will help you." 
A faint smile passed over the sufferer's face. " Oh ! do you 
think that He will?" he asked. Then pressing the hand 
which he held, he said, " Yes : I do beHeve it. I am not 



1 84 Yotmg Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

afraid to die ; but I want somebody to love me." — " Frankie, 
I love you. Poor boy ! you shall not be left alone : is not 
this some comfort to you? " the lady asked. " Do you love 
me ? Will you stay with me, and not leave nie ? " — "I will 
not leave you." 

She then kissed his pale forehead tenderly. A glad light 
flashed over his face. " Oh, kiss me again ! that was given 

hke sister. Mrs. S , won't you kiss me too? I don't 

think that it will be so hard to die, if you will both love me." 

Would you not think a silver half-dollar a small shield to 
wear in battle ? Yet Reuben Davis of the Fifth Kentucky 
found it large enough to save his life. He had borrowed 
that amount from a fellow-soldier a few days before. When 
he offered to pay the debt, on the morning of the battle of 
Fort Donelson, his friend said, " Oh, keep it ! you may need 
it before night." And he did. The coin was struck by a 
rifle-ball in the very middle, hitting the Goddess of Liberty 
in the face, instead of killing the man over whose heart it 
lay. I hope that he thought Who had protected him by 
such a little thing. 

As for the rebels, Jefferson Davis was so disgusted with 
Floyd and Pillow, that he immediately relieved them from 
command. On the other hand, Generals Grant, McCler- 
nand. Smith, and Wallace, as well as Commodore Foote, 
congratulated their troops upon a glorious victory. Here 
was a large slice out of the Confederate cake, but still not 
enough. The news of the fall of Donelson had the effect 
of a bombardment upon Bowling Green. General Mitchell 
reached the northern bank of the Green River, on which it 
lies, just in time to see the rebels on the other shore flying 
from the fort. Not a single shot was fired. The garrison 
had either burned, or removed to Nashville, all military stores. 
But even the latter city was not a safe place at present. 

On the Sunday morning after the battle of Donelson, at 



Two Heads are Better than One!' 



85 



the very hour when the Nationals were entering the fort, the 
Nashville newspapers published this despatch : — 

" A complete victory ! The enemy retreating ! Our boys follow- 
ing, and peppering their rear ! " 

Of course the Confederates were wild with joy. Nobody 
believes that General Pillow meant to publish such an un- 
truth. No doubt he sent it when, as you know, at one time 
the prospect of a rebel victory was very bright ; just as, 




early in the battle, the first telegrams from Bull Run boasted 
a Northern victory. 

The churches in Nashville were full on that Sunday morn- 
ing. Soon after service had begun, a messenger rode through 
the streets, shouting, " Donelson has fallen ! " "The Yan- 
kees are coming ! " In a moment the most awful fear seized 
the people. Churches were emptied. Such horrible stories 
of Northern cruelty had been told, it was no wonder that 
women turned pale, and children trembled. The fate of 
Nashville was sealed. All was given up for lost. It was 
true, indeed, that the Yankees were coming. Every kind 
of wagon was hired at an enormous price to carry the half- 
crazy people away from the city. Even the governor fled 



1 86 Young Folks' Histoiy of the Civil War. [1862. 

to Memphis. The magnificent suspension-bridge over the 
Cumberland was burned. The pubhc store-houses were 
thrown open and plundered. 

Twenty days after the first gun was fired at Fort Henry, 
General Buell hoisted the national flag upon the State-House 
at Nashville. This made the third victory which had been 
gained without the shedding of a drop of blood, — Colum- 
bus, Nashville, and Bowling Green. Those three friends had 
planned their work well upon their map, had they not? 
Columbus was the last place through wliich the blue pencil 
was drawn. 

These events had all happened in the brief space of 
twenty days. After the surrender of Donelson, Brigadier- 
Generals Grant, Pope, and Buell were made major-generals 
of volunteers. A little later, Generals C. F. Smith, McCler- 
nand, and Lewis Wallace received the same promotion. To 
General Grant was given the command of the Military Dis- 
trict of the I'ennessee, and to General William T. Sherman, 
the District of Cairo. 



1862.] '' Where there's a Will, there's a Way.'' 187 



CHAPTER XIII. 

** WHERE there's A WILL, THERE's A WAY." 

EIGHTY-NINE miles below Cairo, the Mississippi makes 
a sudden curve, and flows northward again for ten miles. 
Here turning still more sharply, it goes south once more. 
At this last bend, on the right bank, the little town of New 
Madrid stands sentinel. In the lower end of the loop which 
the river makes, midway between its banks, lies Island Num- 
ber Ten. All the islands are numbered south of Cairo, and 
this is the tenth. So New Madrid is really north of this island, 
although, reckoning by miles, it is farther down the river. 

Now you can readily see that the guns of a fort planted 
at New Madrid could command the river up and down. 
This is why it was called "the key to the Mississippi." 
Beside Fort Thompson, six rebel gunboats did duty by way 
of guarding its approaches. When the Confederate troops 
left Columbus, part of them came here ; while the rest, 
under the command of General Beauregard, were sent to 
Island Number Ten. Those at New Madrid were, however, 
lot long left to enjoy their quarters in peace, for the Union 
general, John Pope, soon paid them a visit. The Nationals 
went down the river in transports as far as Commerce, then 
marched for three days through the swampy, miry country 
to New Madrid. This march was one of great discomfort. 
"The men waded in mud, ate it, slept in it." 

After General Pope went into camp, out of the reach 
of the rebel guns, he sent back to Cairo for more cannon. 



1 88 Young Folks' Histoyy of the Civil War. [1862. 



Batteries were planted on the bank ; but this was all that 
could be done without assistance from outside. As soon as 
his siege-guns arrived they were put in use, the men work- 
ing all night to mount them. The next day General Pope 
cannonaded the rebels so successfully, that, during the follow- 




AT THE GUNS. 



ing night, under cover of a thunder-storm, they disappeared. 
It was plain that they went in haste, for their supper was 
untasted, and even their poor picket-guards were left be- 
hind them. Soldiers are early risers, you know : so, before 
daylight the next morning. Commodore A. H. Foote left 
Cairo, with a fine fleet of gunboats, to assist in reducing 
Island Number Ten. To " reduce " a place is to take it by 
storm. General Beauregard had done his best to make this 



j862.] " Where there's a Will, there^s a Way.** 189 

island the strongest fortification on the river. The bombard- 
ment began on Sunday morning, the commodore's flagship, 
Benton, firing the first gun. Next, the mortar-boats along 
the Kentucky shore put in their loyal voices. A mortar-boat 
is a sort of solidly-built scow, with a low, heavy wall around 
it, from behind which a mortar, or short, thick, stumpy kind 
of upright cannon, is fired. The boat has no machinery, 
and is towed to its position, and fastened. The shell used 
in it is about the size of a football, weighing over two hun- 
dred pounds. 

This kind of thing went on day after day without result, 
until three weeks had passed. During the first day of the 
engagement Commodore Foote received the news of the 
death of his second son, a boy of thirteen years. At first 
he was dumb with sorrow ; but, believing that his country 
demanded the first place in his heart, he summoned his 
will, and took his post again. 

General Pope was growing impatient. His guns at New 
Madrid commanded the river, it is true ; but that was all. 
It was already April, and yet he was no nearer the end at 
which he aimed. He could not take his troops across the 
river to the island, on account of the enemy's batteries, which 
would play upon them from the opposite shore. At that 
very time three thousand shells had been thrown on the 
island from Union guns, and fifty tons of powder had been 
burned; yet only one man had been killed. Before you 
can understand what was finally done, you will have to look 
at the situation very carefully, as it appears on the map. 
Island Number Ten was surrounded on all sides by rebel 
shores. The strip of land to the north of the island, around 
which the river flows in the shape of a horseshoe, is a dense 
swamp. So it was impossible to cross this marshy peninsula 
to the other arm of the river, and thus attack the enemy in 
the rear. 



1 90 Young Folks' Histdfy of the Civil Wa?-. [1862, 

General Schuyler Hamilton, however, suggested a way out 
of the difficulty. He proposed to cut a canal across the 
neck of the peninsula, through which transports could go 
to New Madrid without passing Island Number Ten. This 
was accomplished in nineteen days. The channel was twelve 
miles long, and fifty feet wide. Three thousand trees of all 
sizes had to be cut down, some of them three or four feet 
under water. As soon as it was done, the water rushed 
through the canal as if it were glad to be of use in such 
a cause. While this was going on, five small boats carrying 
fifty men, under the command of Colonel Roberts, pushed 
out one night from the Union fleet into the darkness. Thun- 
der growled, and a faint gleam in the sky gave warning that 
a storm was brewing. But these sturdy fellows were not 
afraid of wetting their fine uniforms : so they rowed noise- 
lessly along the river-bank, or drifted silently down witli the 
current. Not an unnecessary word was spoken. The few 
orders were given in whispers. Suddenly the first boat 
turned toward the shore. In an instant more the others 
had followed, and soon all had landed. Still they were 
silent. They carried fixed bayonets, and kept in line toward 
a battery on the Kentucky shore, which had annoyed them 
greatly of late. What was that ? A flash, and then another, 
told them that they were found out. It was the work of a 
moment to overcome the sentry ; then they fell to spiking 
the guns with a hearty good will. Rain came down in tor- 
rents, and the roar of thunder was terrific. Thus, in a few 
minutes, six cannon had their noisy throats stopped with rat- 
tail files, and the jolly boys who did it rowed off again in 
safety to their camp. It was a daring thing to do, and it was 
well done. Another l)ol(l plan was carried out a day or two 
later. Commander Walke took the little gunboat Caron- 
delet past the Confederate batteries on Island Number Ten 
to New Madrid in a heavy thunder-storm. She was dis- 



i862.] " Where there's a Willy tJiere' s a Way'' 193 

guised as a hay-barge, and was the first vessel that ran the 
blockade on the Mississippi River. The sparks from her 
smoke-stack caught the rebel eye, and she was fired upon. 
Siie escaped unharmed, however, and her fiiends were glad 
to hear the " three shots " which was to be the signal of her 
safety. Her commander received official thanks for his cour- 
age. Other gunboats soon followed this example. The canal 
was now ready, and the troops began crossing the Mississippi 
at New Madrid, to enter it. General Pope said that it was 
the most magnificent sight that he had ever seen, as the 
transports laden with the soldiers made their way across 
the broad bosom of the river. Before the fleet was halfway 
around to Island Number Ten, the rebels had heard of its ap- 
proach, and were rapidly preparing to abandon their works. 

(jeneral Beauregard, with a large number of his best 
troops, slipped off toward Corinth. The next in rank was 
General McCall, to whom was given the command of the 
island. Seeing that the struggle was hopeless, what was left 
of the garrison soon surrendered to Commodore Foote. 
The whole number of prisoners taken by the Nationals during 
the siege was seven thousand two hundred and thirty-three. 
Twenty batteries, seven thousand small-arms, quantities of 
ammunition, beside horses and mules, were also captured. 
Disloyal citizens were terribly frightened by the success of 
the Union armies. 

Before we leave this part of our story, it will interest you 
to hear of a strange witness of the last two battles. A year 
before, an Indian boy caught a fine young eagle, which he 
sold for a bushel of corn. The owner of the bird, in turn, 
sold him, for two dollars and a half, to the Eighth Wiscon- 
sin Infantry. The eaglet was then two months old. Loyal 
women decorated him with rosettes, and petted him. He 
behaved finely, sitting on his perch with all the dignity of a 
judge, and receiving his honors as if he were used to it. 



194 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

The company which had the care of liim was called the 
Eagle Company ; and wherever it went, it was received with 
cheers. The bird was named "Old Abe," after Abraham 
Lincoln. All the newspapers were full of his praises. Upon 
one occasion in St. Louis, he got away from his regiment, 
and was captured on a chimney-top. Here his owners were 
offered a farm for him ; but money could not buy him. He 
always went with his company into battle ; and here — at 
New Madrid and Island Number Ten — were his first vic- 
tories. Before the " cruel war was over," he had sat upon 
his perch, with the Stars and Stripes floating over his head, 
in thirty-seven battles. He was scarred, but never wounded. 
Poor " Old Abe " ! The Historical Society of Wisconsin 
gratefully preserves his body and his memory. Many a 
soldier whose hair is now growing gray tells his boy of the 
battles where " Old Abe " clapped his wings in the hottest 
of the fight more than twenty years ago. 

We must now leave our gallant troops in undisputed pos- 
session of the Mississippi as far south as Arkansas, to follow 
the fortunes of Generals Curtis and Sigel. Starting from 
Springfield, Mo., in the middle of February, the Nationals, 
commanded by General Samuel R. Curtis, pushed down the 
Mississippi Valley into Arkansas. Well aware that the enemy 
far outnumbered his own force, and was still increasing, 
Curtis knew that there was no time to be lost. There is an 
old saying which he did well to remember, " A thing done 
promptly is twice done." 

The Unionists marched at the rate of twenty miles a day, 
in stormy weather, over roads heavy with mud, with scanty 
food, enduring many hardships, until they drove the enemy 
out of Missouri. Yet when the Nationals, eager for an attack, 
were almost treading upon the heels of the rebel general, 
Price, there came a piece of news which startled them. 
Major-General Earl Van Dorn, an active, energetic com- 



i862.] '' Where their s a Will, there's a Way'' 197 

mander in the Confederate army, had joined General McCul- 
loch, himself taking charge of the Confederate movements. 
Besides, General Albert Pike's four thousand Indian troops 
had been added to the rebel army, making its total strength 
twenty-five thousand. In consideration of this fact, and that 
his own army was growing smaller from several causes, Curtis 
fell back to a safer position in the north-western corner of 
Arkansas. Here he came face to face with the enemy. The 
meeting was unexpected. General Curtis was writing in his 
tent one morning, when scouts brought word that the rebels 
were near. Hastening to gather his army, numbering less than 
twelve thousand men, he instantly despatched a messenger 
to General Sigel, then in camp near Bentonville, four miles 
away. General Curtis was near Pea Ridge. On their way 
from Boston Mountains to attack Curtis, the Confederate 
quartet — Van Dorn, Price, McCuUoch, and Pike — chanced 
to encounter General Sigel, with his valuable train of supplies, 
who was on his way to re-enforce General Curtis. Sigel man- 
aged the affair with great skill and courage. Sometimes his 
loyal Germans fought savagely against the odds of four to 
one, and sometimes they fell back. Bullets fell like hail 
upon them. At last a messenger came with the good news 
that re-enforcements were at hand. When these brave fel- 
lows cheered till the echoes answered, the enemy knew that 
help was near, and after one dash more they gave up the 
pursuit. So Sigel finally joined Curtis where the real battle 
of Pea Ridge was afterwards fought. 

General Van Dorn well knew how small was General 
Curtis's army. He marched quite around his encampment 
to make an attack in the rear, while Curtis had prepared to 
receive the enemy in front. Thus Curtis not only lost the 
benefit of his strong position, but, to his consternation, 
found the enemy between him and his supplies. In speak- 
ing of an army, military people seem to think of it as a big 



198 Young Folks' Histofy of the Civil War. [1862. 

bird. They talk of the " right wing," and " left wing/' and 
the " centre." The reserve corps must be the tail, for that 
always comes last. 

Well, General Curtis promptly turned around, and fought 
from the rear of his camp. General Carr of the Union army 
commanded the right wing, confronting the Confederates 
under General Price ; while the left wing, under Generals 
Sigel and Asboth, were face to face with Pike's Indians. The 
Union centre, under General Jefferson C. Davis, had all it 
could do to hold its own against McCulloch and Mcintosh. 
It was a hard and bloody struggle. When night came, the 
right wing had been badly cut up. 

The two armies slept on their arms, a stone's throw from 
each other, both dreaming of victory on the morrow. The 
wounded were tenderly cared for ; but their groaning sounded 
mournfully in that lonely spot. In the morning the action 
began again. There was heavy cannonading on both sides. 
The Federals charged with bayonets, and the rebels fled. 
The battle-field was covered with the dead ; and, as Indians 
fought for the rebels, many a body was found scalped and 
mangled. General McCulloch and Mcintosh had been 
killed, and General Price was wounded. The loss on both 
sides was very great. It is true that the battle had been won 
by the Nationals, but little else ; for the rebels managed to 
carry away their own baggage and artillery. Both armies 
were glad to stop fighting, no doubt ; for they soon dis- 
appeared from each other's sight. Van Dorn witlidrew his 
troops to a little distance for the purpose of re-organizing 
them before joining General A. S. Johnston at Corinth. 
After a rest on the battle-field, the Union army marched 
in a south-easterly direction toward the Mississippi. 



l^wo Surprises. 199 



CHAPTER XIV. 

TWO SURPRISES. 

A SLIGHT misunderstanding arose between General 
Halleck and General Grant, immediately following 
the fall of Donelson. Postal and telegraphic communica- 
tion was necessarily very imperfect, and no doubt this 
caused the trouble. However that may be, General Hal- 
leck's orders were not obeyed as promptly as he expected, 
because they were not received. To punish General Grant, 
Halleck relieved him of command, putting General C. F. 
Smith in his place. Like a good soldier, however, Grant 
accepted the situation, but explained the reason for his 
failure, and showed the greatest kindness to the new com- 
mander. General Smith was very glad, when, after a few 
days, the restoration of General Grant to his old command 
relieved him of the responsibility of the movement then on 
foot. There is a pretty story told about these two soldiers, 
which is worth repeating. General Smith was much older 
than General Grant, and had been the commandant at the 
West Point Military Academy when Grant was but a cadet 
there. It now chanced that the younger man was senior in 
rank to the older. Grant found the situation embarrassing ; 
for he still remembered his old commander " with awe," and 
found it almost impossible to give him an order, as was often 
necessary. General Smith noticed this, and very kindly said, 
" I am now the subordinate, and I know a soldier's duty. I 
hope that you will feel no awkwardness about our new rela- 



200 Yoinig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

tions." This was all the more touching, because at the 
time of his death, which took place not long afterward, 
General Smith was sixty years old, while General Grant was 
still a young man. 

It will be remembered that General Beauregard went with 
a large number of men from Island Number Ten to Corinth. 
General Bragg with ten thousand picked troops, and Gen- 
eral Polk with his command from Columbus, were already 
there ; and now General Albert Sidney Johnston Jiad come 
from Murfreesboro at the head of a force of twenty thousand 1 
more. To him was intrusted the command of the rebel 
army at Corinth, supposed to be from forty to fifty thousand 
strong. General Grant was gathering the Union forces on 
the right bank of the Tennessee, at Savannah, only thirty- 
two miles away. General Buell, who was at Nashville, had 
been ordered to report at Savannah as quickly as possible. 
The army at Henry and Donelson was already on its way up 
the Tennessee River. The first steamer bearing troops 
arrived at Savannah on the 5th of March. Others followed. 
More than eighty steamboats, escorted by three gunboats, 
moved in procession up the river, " each boat with its pillar 
of smoke by day, and of fire by night." General Wallace 
thus describes the fleet as it steamed away from Fort 
Henry : — 

" It is difficult to imagine any thing more beautiful and orderly 
than the movement of this army up the river. The transports of each 
division were assembled together in order of march. At a signal they 
put out in line, loaded to their utmost capacity with soldiers and 
materiel. Cannon fired, regiments cheered, bands played. Looking 
up the river after the boats had one by one taken their places, a great, 
dense column of smoke, extending as far as the eye could reach, 
marked the windings of the stream, and hung in the air like a pall. 
It was indeed a sight never to be forgotten." 

The point selected for the encampment of the Union 
army was Pittsburg Landing, a bluff on the east bank of tlie 



i862.] Two Surprises. 203 

river, about nine miles above Savannah. The bank rises 
here above the water's edge to the height of nearly one 
hundred feet, and through it run several deep ravines. 
About two miles from the Landing, on the road to Corinth, 
was a little barn-like building, known as Shiloh Church, from 
which the battle has received its name. General Lewis 
Wallace's division was stationed at Crump's Landing, mid- 
way between Pittsburg Landing and Savannah, on the west 
bank. General Grant kept his own headquarters at Savan- 
nah, in order to direct the movements of re-enforcements 
which should arrive. He visited Pittsburg Landing every 
day, and was about to go there to remain, when he heard 
that Buell was very near. General C. F. Smith was too ill, 
as the result of an accident, to command his own division, 
which was therefore given in charge of General W. H. L. 
Wallace. There was no especial reason on the part of the 
Federals to look for an immediate attack, and thus no prepa- 
rations had been made. But the rebels were watchful and 
busy. Through scouts they knew all that was going on at 
Pittsburg Landing. They also knew that Buell was making a 
hasty march to re-enforce Grant. They resolved to make an 
attack before he should arrive, and a surprise was therefore 
determined upon. On the afternoon of Thursday, April 3, 
the rebel army was put in motion, with five days' rations 
and a hundred rounds of ammunition. It moved in three 
parallel lines. General Beauregard was second in command. 
On Saturday night it bivouacked so near the Union lines, 
that voices could be heard, and camp-fires seen. An army 
is said to " bivouac " when it sleeps in the open air without 
going into camp, ready for instant movement. The Con- 
federates lighted no fires that night, and necessary lights 
were carefully hidden. No one went out or in. A heavy 
rain had soaked the ground ; and even the leaves ceased to 
crackle under their feet as they moved about. General 



204 YoiDig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

Albert Sidney Johnston, who was chief in command, called 
a council of his generals to discuss the plans for the morrow. 
At the close of this meeting, General Beauregard exclaimed, 
" Gentlemen, we sleep in the enemy's camp to-morrow 
night ! " And not a man said, " We cannot do it." 

At three o'clock on Sunday morning the Confederates 
moved toward Pittsburg Landing. Just as the gray dawn 
of the soft spring morning was streaked with the rising sun, 
a crash of artillery, and the rush of pickets driven in by the 
enemy, told the Unionists that they were surprised. The 
national guns were not even loaded. Many of the troops 
had not enough ammunition. Brigadier-General Prentiss 
had doubled his guard the night before, having been warned 
that an attack was to be made. He had also pushed his 
picket-line forward, and formed his division in advance of 
his camp, where he received the first force of the enemy's 
assault. General W. T. Sherman was also in the front, and 
fell into line at once. In this battle many raw troops were 
engaged, who had never before smelled powder. General 
Prentiss and General Sherman seemed to have had their full 
share of these new recruits. It was not surprising that 
.General Prentiss's division should have been so easily over- 
come as scarcely to try to resist the enemy. 

General Sherman suffered from a similar disadvantage ; but 
he himself remained at the front, cheering, threatening, and 
even compelling his troops to fight. General Grant, Avho was 
at Savannah, heard the firing, and, hastening at once to the 
battle-field, rode forward into the thickest of the battle. 

Grant was everywhere as cool, and unconscious of danger, 
as if in his own tent. He warmly complimented General Sher- 
man upon his gallant behavior on that day. General Lewis 
Wallace and General Nelson had been ordered to hasten to 
the scene of battle ; but the hours passed heavily by, and 
they did not come. There were two generals by the name 



i862.] Tzvo Surprises. 207 

of Wallace in this battle, one of whom was already doing 
gallant service. The battle of Shiloh was his last, for here 
General W. H. L. Wallace received a wound, of which he 
died at Savannah, not long after. 

The rebel leader, General Albert Sidney Johnston, fell at 
noon, mortally wounded ; but his death was not made known 
to his army, for fear of a panic. General Beauregard next 
assumed the command. Two Union gunboats, the Tyler 
and the Lexington, lay at the landing, ready for action when 
the opportunity should come. All this pleasant Sunday the 
battle had raged. More than ten thousand men were already 
killed or wounded. Step by step the Nationals had been 
crowded back toward the river, even beyond their first 
position. The Confederates gathered toward nightfall for 
a final attack. A ravine lay between the two armies, and 
some guns had been placed in position to command it. So, 
when the rebels made an attempt to cross, a brisk fire from 
these batteries and the two gunboats at the river easily per- 
suaded them to give up the assault. On the Union side, 
General Prentiss had been captured with his command. A 
drizzling rain had begun to fall, which served to render 
still more horrible that wretched night. Neither army had 
shelter. 

When darkness settled over the earth, the fighting ceased ; 
but General Beauregard's prophecy had been fulfilled. The 
rebels did indeed sleep on the very ground which was 
occupied the night before by the Union camp. 

Late in the afternoon. General Buell had appeared in per- 
son, and still later came Generals Nelson and Lewis Wallace. 
Never was aid more opportune. That night the soldiers on 
both sides slept on their arms. 

The telegraph began to play an important part very early 
in the war. Its lines were built along the track of the advan- 
cing armies at the rate of eight miles a day. Operators 



2o8 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

were usually very young men : many of them, indeed, were 
mere boys. Yet many a youth showed courage and coolness 
which would have earned a shoulder-strap in the military 
service. The battle of Pittsburg Landing began too suddenly 
to admit of elaborate preparations for telegraphing. As the 
wires were too short to reach across the river, a very singular 
plan was invented to meet the emergency. The operator 
climbed out to the farthest point on a limb of a fallen tree 
which hung far over the water's edge, and was thus able to 
attach the wire to the instrument. Here, astride a limb, 
nearly devoured by mosquitoes, he sat all day, sending 
hourly messages to the eager, anxious North. 

The second day, General Grant began the battle. During 
the night he had personally directed the position of every 
commander, and had given orders to each. The fresh troops 
were to occupy the front, General Lewis Wallace's division 
on the extreme right, and three divisions of Buell's army on 
the left. And they fought well, too, when the time came. 

The Confederates rightly guessed that the Nationals had 
been re-enforced. The fighting was hottest near Shiloh 
Church, where Beauregard had slept on Sunday night. 
Closer and closer the two lines pressed. Ground was lost 
and regained. At last General Grant selected two regiments, 
and, leading them in person, charged upon the enemy. This 
was the turning-point. It was now three o'clock in the after- 
noon. From this time the Confederates steadily fell back. 

At four the tired and exhausted Nationals had given up 
the pursuit. Both sides had fought with desperate courage. 
It is true that some of the raw Northern soldiers were fright- 
ened and ran away, hiding under the bluff; but even they 
did good service on the second day. It is not being afraid 
that makes one a coward : it is giving up to one's fear. 
" You are frightened," said a young soldier to a veteran in 
the midst of a .CTcat battle. ''Yes," was the answer, '' I am 



i862,] Tzvo Surprises. 21 1 

frightened ; and, if you were only half as much frightened 
as I am, you would run away." 

It would be hard to tell who deserved the highest praise 
for gallant conduct on the battle-field of Shiloh. The report 
of every commanding officer makes " honorable mention " 
of many a regiment as well as of individual officers. Of 
General Sherman it was said, "Among the heroes of that 
hard-fought batUe, he outshone them all." Always brave, 
his behavior won golden opinions for him. When all was 
over, it was enough to break one's heart to see the wagon- 
loads of wounded Confederates " piled up like bags of grain " 
on the dreary road back to Corinth. " Three hundred men 
died during this retreat ; and their poor bodies were thrown 
out of the wagons to make room for others, who, though 
wounded, struggled on through the storm, hoping to find 
shelter and cover." 

On each side the loss was appalling. The killed, wounded, 
and missing in both armies, were estimated at twenty-four 
thousand two hundred and seventy-two. 

With plenty of money to buy comforts for the Union sol- 
diers, and willing hands to nurse them, their sufferings were 
terrible ; but think of the poor Confederates, without money 
or woman's care, left to die alone ! Some of the rebel pris- 
oners were sent to Camp Douglas in Chicago. A lady, 
describing their appearance, said, "They had old carpets, 
new carpets, and rag carpets, old bedquilts and new bed- 
quilts, for blankets. They had slouch-hats, children's hats, 
little girls' hats, and not one soldier's cap to their heads. 
One man had two old hats tied to his feet for shoes. They 
were the most ragged, torn, and weary-looking set I ever 
saw. Everybody felt sorry for them." 

In the battle of Shiloh a ball struck the scabbard of General 
Grant's sword, and broke it. He still preserves the blade as 
a memento of that fearful day. An Illinois chaplain heard 



212 Yoiuig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

the bleating of a lamb upon the field the day after the battle. 
When the fight began, a flock of sheep had been feeding 
there, and all but this little lamb had been killed, or had run 
away. Still looking for its mother in all the noise and smoke, 
this poor little thing had escaped unhurt. The chaplain fed 
and cared for it while he staid, and left it at last lying in 
the sunshine, waiting for the mother sheep. 

The effect of such a fearful battle, with so little good 
resulting from it, was very damaging to the reputation of the 
commanding general, especially as the evacuation of Island 
Number Ten on the same day, without bloodshed, presented 
a marked contrast to it. General Grant's success at Donel- 
son, as well as his personal bravery and skilful leadership at 
Shiloh, went for nothing. The newspapers clamored for his 
disgrace. 

General Halleck rebuked him by his conduct, if not in 
words. He hastened at once to the scene of conflict, and 
himself took command, assigning General Grant to no posi- 
tion, with the title of "second in command," but without 
any thing to do. Most opportunely, just at this time. Gen- 
eral Pope arrived from the Mississippi with twenty-five thou- 
sand fresh soldiers and some of Curtis's division, which had 
been engaged at Pea Ridge. 

Before the arrival of General Halleck, however. Grant had 
sent General Sherman to cut the Memphis and Charleston 
Railroad. General Beauregard had also been re-enforced 
by a fresh instalment of soldiers under General Van Dorn, 
whom we last met at Pea Ridge, thus increasing his army 
to sixty-five thousand " of the best drilled and best fighting 
men of the Confederacy." 

Early in May the march toward Corinth began, slowly and 
with great caution. The distance was but about thirty miles, 
yet the Nationals did not reach the enemy's picket-hnes at 
Corinth till the 28th. Two days after, with an army of one 



i862.] Tivo Surprises, 213 

hundred thousand men, General Halleck marched into Cor- 
inth, to find it deserted. It had the appearance of being 
strongly fortified ; while in reality its works were a sham, and 
its cannon were chiefly " Quaker guns." General Pjcaure- 
gard had managed the affair very cleverly. Knowing that 
the National army was near enough to hear the sound of 
engines and moving trains, he ordered his troops to cheer 
loudly whenever an engine whistled during the night, "as 
though re-enforcements had been received." This had the 
desired effect. Without rousing the suspicions of the Union- 
ists, instead of receiving re-enforcements, the entire rebel 
army had slipped away, carrying the sick, the heavy artillery, 
and many of their stores. Since the battle of Shiloh, or 
Pittsburg Landing, General Grant had been allowed to take 
no part in the operations. 

This time it was Halleck 's turn to be censured. People 
said, that, if he had not interfered. General Grant would 
have pushed on to Corinth, and captured it a month sooner. 
Halleck proceeded to fortify Corinth. At the same time he 
sent Buell, at the head of the Army of the Ohio, to assist 
General Mitqhell at Chattanooga. At this crisis of affairs 
General Halleck was called to Washington to occupy the 
position of general-in-chief. General Grant was placed in 
command of the Army of the Cumberland, and General 
Thomas in charge at Corinth. 



214 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 



CHAPTER XV. 

HERE A LITTLE, AND THERE A LITTLE. 

SOON after the new year of 1862 came in, it was whis- 
pered that there was a great secret of State, and every- 
body was eager to help to keep it. While General Halleck 
was making his plans, which we have followed to the end, a 
fleet was getting ready to sail from Hampton Roads. Where 
it was going, nobody knew. Why it was going was also a 
mystery. Two old gossips over a cup of tea could be no 
more anxious to pry into other people's business than were 
the newspapers to know this secret. And the oddest part 
of it all was, that only a few of the commanding officers of 
the fleet even knew more about it than the public ; for the 
ships carried sealed orders. They set sail on the nth of 
January. When it was known that they had really gone out 
into the open sea, the country was wild with excitement and 
curiosity. The terrible storm which had made everybody so 
anxious about the safety of Commodore Dupont's fleet in 
the autumn was fresh in mind ; and, of course, those who 
were not in the secret shook their heads, and called the 
enterprise foolhardy. And sure enough, the very day after 
they sailed there came a heavy storm, and scattered the 
ships, wrecking four of them, although no lives were lost. 

So it was February before the fleet could go over the bar, 
through Hatteras Inlet, into Pamhco Sound, whither it was 
bound. You already know the geography of this region, yet 
another glance will refresh your minds, and help you to see 



i862.j Here a Little, and there a Little. 215 

it clearly. The command of this expedition was intrusted 
to Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside ; but the naval part 
was directed by Commodore Louis M. Goldsborough ; both 
of whom were quite equal to the difficult task given them. 
Their object was first to seize Roanoke Island, and afterward 
to secure possession of other points on the coast of North 
Carolina, and then to approach Norfolk in the rear. Thanks 
to the newspapers, notwithstanding the care to conceal the 
purpose of this expedition, the Confederates learned that a 
squadron had sailed, and shrewdly guessed where it was 
bound for. The Confederate Brigadier-General H. A. Wise 
was in command of Roanoke Island at that time ; but he 
was ill, and absent from his post, which was in charge of 
Colonel H. M. Shaw. There were several batteries to pro- 
tect the island. Some vessels had been sunk in the main 
channel, and still farther in was a " mosquito fleet," Hke that 
employed at Port Royal. Very slowly Commodore Golds- 
borough sailed his fleet of seventy vessels toward the west 
side of the island, and anchored six miles below. The sky 
had been cloudy all day, but suddenly the sun shone out 
brightly. At the same time the flagship fired its first gun, 
and run up the signal, " This day our country expects every 
man to do his duty." Cheer upon cheer greeted this mes- 
sage, and the Union gunners opened fire upon Fort Bartow 
with a right good will. At twelve o'clock the batde became 
general. The national gunboats and the batteries on shore 
had a lively duet ; but when the rebel gunboats tried to put 
in a word they were silenced without ceremony. The fort 
was soon disabled, and the flagstaff" shot away. At mid- 
night, in a drizzling rain, General Burnside landed his troops 
at Ashby's Harbor ; not, however, without a little skirmish. 
They must now march five miles before they could attack 
the enemy's works. The way lay through a bushy swamp, 
over which was only a poor cart-road. Carefully they moved 



2i6 Young Folks' History -of the Civil War. [1862. 

along, until they came to the enemy's skirmishers. Fighting 
as they went, the Nationals steadily pushed their way, till 
the fire from the rebel guns began to thin out their ranks. 
By and by it was discovered that their ammimition was 
giving out. Nothing but a charge could save them now. 
Major Kimball of Hawkins's Zouaves (New York) offered to 
lead it. Crying, "Zouaves, storm the battery ! Forward ! " 
they were off in a twinkling. Through tangled brush they 
pressed and struggled, cheered by their comrades, who 
shouted, " Make way for the Redcaps ! They are the 
boys ! " Colonel Hawkins, who at the time was directing 
two other companies, could not resist the desire to join them. 
The effect was like magic. In an instant the whole battalion 
was rushing forward on the run, yelling, " Zou ! Zou ! Zou ! " 
— the cry which makes the Zouave charge so terrible. With 
fixed bayonets, on they went. The rebels threw away their 
guns, and fled. That afternoon Commodore Goldsborough 
flung out another signal, " The fort is ours ! " 

It was in this fight that the heroic John Davis was sur- 
prised by seeing a shell coming in just where he was passing 
out powder for the guns of one of the steamers of the fleet. 
He never thought of running away, but deliberately sat down 
on the open keg, so that no sparks could get in. He was 
promoted immediately, as he deserved to be, for this act 
of bravery. A son of the rebel General Wise waS killed 
in this batde ; and his poor father, who was ill, nearly died 
of grief when he heard the news. 

General Burnside now made his headquarters on Roanoke 
Island. Commodore Rowan, under orders from Commo- 
dore Goldsborough, attacked Elizabeth City, not for away, 
on the coast of North Carolina. The struggle was short, 
but severe. Hand to hand, if one can say so of gunboats 
almost touching each other, the battle was fought and won. 
The Union flag was raised first on the mainland of North 



!i! 







'ihHW 



i862.j Here a Little , and There a Little. 219 

Carolina, at Elizabeth City. Here we will take leave of 
Commodore Goldsborough, who was ordered to Hampton 
Roads, Commodore Rowan succeeding him in command. 

Early in March the Union fleet went up the River Neuse, 
on which Newberne stands. A landing was made at Slocum's 
Creek, a few miles from the city. After marching a little 
way, the Federals came upon a rebel camp. So frightened 
were they at the sight of the Federal troops, that they fled 
in haste, taking nothing with them, and leaving a good break- 
fast all ready. The river-bank near Newberne was well pro- 
tected by batteries. Behind these the enemy could fire, 
unhurt and unseen. After a weary day's march, the Union 
troops rested, as well as they could on wet ground ; and 
early in the naorning firing began. The men behaved well. 
When the hope of silencing the rebel batteries was nearly 
given up, they rushed with a wild cheer straight on the 
enemy's guns. Over the rampart they went, fighting so 
fiercely that the Confederates ran away in terror. An 
attempt was afterward made by the rebels to burn their own 
city, but the flames were quenched before great harm was 
done. The fall of Newberne was immediately followed by 
the capture of Fort Pulaski, the key to the city of Savannah. 
As Big Tybee Island was already in Union hands, several 
bomb-batteries were built on the side of it next to Fort 
Pulaski. When all was ready, General David Hunter, who 
used to command the Department of Kansas, demanded the 
surrender of the fort. This, of course, was refused. Then 
the siege began. It was a hard-fought battle, but was 
won by the Nationals, upon the first anniversary of the fall 
of Sumter. Then, after a few hours of bombardment, Fort 
Macon fell, and with it the town of Beaufort, N.C. Fort 
Clinch was deserted ; and Fernandina, Fla., which depended 
upon it for defence, surrendered without a shot. Jack- 
sonville and St. Augustine, with Fort Marion, Fla., yielded 



220 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

voluntarily to the Unionists. Thus you will see, that, ex- 
cepting Charleston in South Carolina, the " Cradle of Seces- 
sion," the entire Atlantic coast was occupied by "Yankees." 

" Doubling the cape " of Florida, we find ourselves in the 
Gulf of Mexico. If we keep near the shore, still going west, 
we shall come at last to Ship Island, not far from the 
mouth of the Mississippi River, '^here was an unfinished 
fort here, and Secretary Floyd had ordered heavy guns to 
be placed in it. When the war broke out, the rebels made 
haste to complete the fort, and for a little while held it with 
a large force. But, upon hearing that a Union fleet was 
coming, they became alarmed, and evacuated it, burning 
the barracks, which, you know, are houses inside of a fort. 
It was immediately occupied by the Nationals, and named 
Fort Massachusetts, after the gunboat to which it owed its 
capture. In the autumn of 1861 General Butler got per- 
mission to gather an army in the New England States for a 
particular purpose. When all was ready, the need for this 
army had passed. So he said to Secretary Stanton one day, 
"Why cannot New Orleans be taken? " 

" It can," was the answer, very much to the purpose. 

The result of this conversation was, that General Butler 
was appointed to the command of the Department of the 
Gulf; and early in February another fleet set sail from 
Hampton Roads. 

The wife of General Butler shared the dangers and hard- 
ships of the voyage. She was every inch a brave woman. 
Although the passage was very rough, and the ship was in 
danger of going to pieces, she never showed a sign of feaR 
For thirty days they were tossed about on the Atlantic, 
before they came to Ship Island. There was not a single 
house for her to take refuge in when she arrived ; but the 
men very quickly patched up one for her out of boards. 
One day, after a heavy storm, a little girl, only three years 




GENERAL V,. F. BUTLER, 



i862,] Here a Little, and there a Little. 223 

old, was found on the beach. It was supposed that her 
parents had been drowned in a storm, while she had been 
cast upon the shore in safety. She told her father's name, 
which proved to be that of an outspoken secessionist in 
New Orleans, and a physician of that city. 

Mrs. Butler took the little one, and cared for her ten- 
derly. The child knew the name of her grandfather in New 
Orleans, and General Butler lost no time in sending her 
home. To Major George C. Strong, chief-of-staff, was 
given this privilege. With money to pay her way to New 
Orleans, he took her in a sloop, under a flag of truce, to 
Biloxi, "a summer watering-place on the Mississippi main." 
Here he left her. On his return " the sloop grounded, and 
an attempt was made to capture her by some men who had 
been witnesses of Major Strong's errand." He managed to 
keep them off, however, until help came. Of course Gene- 
ral Butler was indignant. The very next day he sent a force 
to Biloxi, and took the town. He made the mayor offer 
him an apology for the disrespect to a flag of truce. 

When General Butler parted from President Lincoln, to 
undertake this expedition, he said, " Good-by, Mr. President ! 
We shall take New Orleans, or you wiU never see me again." 

The naval part of the movement against New Orleans 
was commanded by Commodore D. G. Farragut. Under 
his direction was also a fleet of " bomb-vessels and armed 
steamers, enough to manage them all," in charge of Com- 
mander D. D. Porter. As soon as General Butler arrived 
at Ship Island with his re-enforcements, preparations were 
begun for the attack upon New Orleans. It was April, how- 
ever, before the fleet was well over the bars at the mouth of 
the Mississippi River. 

The Confederates had spared no pains for the defence 
of that city, which lies one hundred miles above the mouth 
of the river, and is defended by two fine forts, on opposite 



224 Young Folks' History of the Civil JVar. [1862. 

banks, about seventy miles below New Orleans. Between 
these forts and the town a threatening rebel fleet lay at anchor. 

Among these vessels and boats were two which were 
celebrated in those days, — the floating-battery Louisiana, 
and the ram Manassas. Fire-rafts were also prepared to 
send down, if need should be ; and an army under General 
Mansfield Lovell was encamped around the city. The Mis- 
sissippi, so full of curves, makes a sharp bend toward the 
west, about twenty-five miles above its mouth. The inside 
of the elbow is occupied by Fort Jackson, while immedi- 
ately above and opposite, on the north shore, St. Philip 
frowns. Hulks of vessels had been sunk in a line across 
the river. Stout chains were stretched across, and fastened 
to these, thus making the river impassable to ships. 

Porter dressed the masts of fourteen of his mortar-vessels 
with the green boughs of the trees, and daubed the hulls 
with mud, so that they would not be noticed as they were 
moved up the river. The rest were moored a little below, 
and hidden in the reeds and willows. In this way, without 
being seen, they were able to come very near Fort Jackson. 

It was past the middle of April when one morning the 
flotilla opened fire. The Rebels sent fire-rafts down the river, 
hoping to set the National ships on fire. Sometimes the rafts 
were caught by their own chains, and sometimes the Nationals 
towed them ashore, and left them to burn, doing no harm. 
Finally, Commodore Farragut decided to run the blockade, 
which was now becoming quite the fashion. 

He ordered the chains across the river to be cut in the 
night ; and, as the river was at full tide, the hulks to which 
they were fastened drifted down with the current. When 
every thing was ready, the flag-ship, and seven other vessels 
and gunboats, started boldly up the river, firing into the 
enemy's works as they went. Of course the batteries and 
forts all along the way, opened fire upon the fleet. They 



1862.J Here a Little, a?id there a Little. 225 

went straight on toward the Confederate gunboats which lay 
above the forts, bearing the scars of many a Rebel bullet 
in their oaken sides. The famous ram Manassas came 
steaming down into Farragut's fleet ; but this proved to be 
only a scare, as she was disabled, and soon exploded, and 
disappeared under the water. After a heavy battle, which 
lasted many days, the Nationals were once more the victors. 
Fort and gunboat were hushed, and New Orleans was taken. 
The mayor refused to hoist the Union flag in the city when 
the Federals entered it : so Farragut sent a squad of men for 
that purpose. The Union soldiers were treated with the great- 
est rudeness, and the Union flag was dragged in the dirt. 
Commodore Farragut then again raised the colors, and sent 
word to the mayor to " see that it was respected." The 
citizens of New Orleans were unwilling to believe the news 
that they were really in the hands of the Unionists, which 
would not have been worse in their eyes if their conquerors 
had been cannibals. 

General Butler took formal possession of the city on the 
first -day of May. It was no easy matter to control New 
Orleans, but he was in earnest. He taxed the rich to feed 
and clothe the poor. He made new streets, and cleansed 
the old ones as they had never been cleansed before. He 
improved public squares and canals. He righted the wrongs 
of the oppressed, and perhaps he oppressed the oppressors 
also. Two women so far forgot that they were women as to 
spit in the face of some Union soldiers whom they chanced 
to meet. When it came to the ears of General Butler, he 
issued an order that any woman who should hereafter insult 
a soldier of the United States should be treated with no more 
indulgence than a man would be entitled to. He was both 
merciful and severe. So many complaints were made against 
him, however, that at the end of the year he was recalled, 
and General N. P. Banks was put in his place. 



226 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

"ON TO RICHMOND ! " 

WHEN the new year came in, all eyes were anxiously 
turned toward the Army of the Potomac. Men's 
minds were so full of the idea that it was time for something 
to happen at headquarters, that, without any especial reason, 
important events were hourly looked for. The resignation 
of Mr. Cameron took place early in January, and Mr. Edwin 
M. Stanton immediately succeeded him as Secretary of War. 
The effect of this change was to kindle the hope that the 
new secretary would hasten affairs to a crisis. Within and 
around the city of \\'ashington two hundred thousand troops 
were being maintained at an immense cost to the govern- 
ment. It is true that they had been organized, equipped, 
and drilled by their young commander, which certainly was 
a great thing to have been accomplished. Neither was it 
their fault that they were idle. They were nearly bursting 
their new uniforms with the eager desire to fight somebody 
somewhere. Camp-life, to which the soldiers w^ere so unused, 
was producing a very bad effect upon them. Until now all 
their lives had been busy with hands or brain, and the time 
hung heavily. 

" But Satan finds some mischief still 
For idle hands to do ; " 

and during that long winter many a soldier learned habits 
which spoiled his whole after-life, and brought sorrow to 



i862.] '* (9;/ to Richmond !^^ 227 

those at home. Some became drunkards; some played 
games for money (which is called "gambling"); and 
not a few took " the name of God in vain " for the first 
time. 

Up to Christmas the weather had been soft and fine ; but 
after that the troops, who were not prepared for winter, really 
suffered from storms and cold. The men then became more 
impatient than ever ; but General McClellan was not ready. 
Unfortunately, an illness which confined him to his house 
for several weeks gave him a good reason for still further 
delay. The President was nervously eager for action, and 
tried to get McClellan to set a time for a general movement. 
But the young general refused to confide his plans to any 
one, saying, that, in military matters, "the fewer persons 
knowing them, the better." Still, it was very mortifying to 
be blockaded by rebel batteries on the Potomac River, for 
want of pluck enough to raise the blockade. Mr. Lincoln 
was blamed for the failure to accomplish any thing, yet no 
effort of his could move McClellan. 

At length, as General-in-Chief of the army and navy, the 
President ordered a general advance of all the troops, east 
and west, by land and sea. This was to occur on or before 
the 2 2d of February. Can the reader tell whose birthday 
was to be celebrated in such a grand style ? Immediately 
after this proclamation was another, directing the Army 
of the Potomac, " after providing safely for the defence of 
Washington," to advance, and seize upon Centreville, a 
point west of Manassas Junction, where the rebels were 
in force. Indeed, McClellan's chief reason for delay was 
the certainty of overwhelming numbers of the enemy at 
Manassas. He disagreed with the President as to the direc- 
tion from which an attack should be made, and the time 
best suited for it. Before McClellan was ready to move, it 
was definitely learned that the rebels had withdrawn them- 



228 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

selves and their stores from Manassas, and had retreated 
farther south, to the Rappahannock River. 

The very day after the last Confederate had gone, the 
Army of the Potomac broke camp, and moved out toward 
Centreville. And it was a noble army indeed — one of which 
General McClellan might well be proud. To him belonged 
the credit of its thorough organization and its superb disci- 
phne, — the result of five months of patient drill. The 
army already loved its leader devotedly, " Little Mac," as 
they called him, and would have followed him, without 
flinching, to certain death. 

It was now an easy matter to capture the Confederate 
works. It would have been easy a long time before ; for 
the artillery which frowned so savagely from Manassas 
proved upon closer acquaintance to be only "Quaker guns," 
which in truth were but logs of wood rigged up to resemble 
real cannon. A ^'contraband" was asked by some good- 
natured Union officer, how long a range these Quaker guns 
had. " Why, sar," he replied, " they used to say them's 
just as good to scare as any." And so it had proved. The 
alarming number of troops which had appeared so frightful 
had never been over fifty thousand, while at that very 
moment McClellan's available force was one hundred and 
forty thousand. 

General Stoneman's cavalry made a short raid in the rear 
of the retreating rebels. He was soon compelled to turn 
back, however, owing to the condition of the Virginia roads 
at that season. In obedience to an order of the President, 
General McClellan divided " the active portion of the Army 
of the Potomac " into five army corps, the first under Gene- 
ral Irwin McDowell, the second under Brigadier-General 
E. V. Sumner, the third under Brigadier-General S. P. 
Heintzelman, the fourth under Brigadier-General E. L. 
Keyes, and a fifth under Major-General N. P. Banks. • 



i862,] •* (9;/ to Richmond !^' 229 

President Lincoln's patience at last gave way ; and he 
issued another order, which relieved General McClellan 
from all command or responsibility, excepting the direction 
of his own especial Department of the Potomac. It is only 
fair to say here, that, although he was humiliated and dis- 
appointed. General McClellan received with great patience 
the news of his removal. He was at this time at Fairfax 
Court-House. He therefore called a council of war, and it 
was agreed to march back to Alexandria, on the Potomac, 
and from that point to move by water to Fortress Monroe. 

The President readily agreed to the plan, provided that 
Washington were made secure, and that a sufficient guard 
were left at Manassas to hold it. And so, at last, the Army 
of the Potomac began to embark, really for work this time, 
as it seemed ; and, indeed, the country thought it was high 
time, for it was now the middle of March. 

While General McClellan is getting his army down the 
Potomac, through Chesapeake Bay to Fortress Monroe, we 
will glance at the situation there. The safe and spacious 
harbor called Hampton Roads is made by the sudden 
widening of the James River as it enters Chesapeake Bay. 
At the northern end of this almost land-locked harbor is 
Old Point Comfort, guarded by the guns of Fortress Mon- 
roe. On the southern side, immediately opposite, are Nor- 
folk and the Gosport Navy- Yard. These latter points were 
occupied by the Confederates. Do you remember that the 
steam-frigate Merrimac was sunk here when the navy-yard 
was abandoned to the rebels ? Well, she was afterward raised 
■and made over, receiving the name of the Virginia with her 
new clothes. But we will continue to call her the Merrimac, 
because she did not bear her new name very long. She 
was cut down to her deck, and her sides were protected 
by iron plates. Her roof was shingled with railroad iron, 
the pieces overlapping each other, so that neither shot nor 



230 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

shell could hurt her. Her long, sharp bow was made of 
oak, and was iron-clad. She was fitted out with every kind 
of death-dealing instrument. She even had the means for 
throwing boiling water and hot shot. Although she looked 
like only a huge floating roof, she was not a desirable neigh- 
bor, to say the least. The Nationals well knew that she was 
at Norfolk Navy-Yard, and a visit from her was daily ex- 
pected at Fortress Monroe with very litUe pleasure. Yet 
our own navy had not been idle ; and it was hoped, that, 
if she did come, a suitable reception would be given her. 

Captain John Ericsson, a scientific Swede, had received 
permission to build for the government a dwarf vessel 
called the Monitor, and she well deserved her name, which 
means " one who warns." In the water she appeared to be 
merely a floating raft or floor. She was very sharp at both 
ends, and had a curious little round tower in the centre. 
The rebels called her a Yankee cheese-box. She seemed 
innocent enough ; but, like a parlor-match, she gave out an 
amazing amount of noise and fire. Her harmless-looking 
turret was made to revolve, and carried two heavy guns. 
These were arranged to slide back and forth at wifl ; and 
as the turret turned round they could be pointed in any 
direcdon. She was taken in tow by a steam-tug at New 
York as soon as she was finished, and was hurried down to 
Hampton Roads with all possible speed. Notwithstanding 
the rough weather which she met, and the necessary delay 
resulting from it, she accidentally made the harbor of Hamp- 
ton Roads on Saturday night, the 8th of March. Acciden- 
tally? Providentially, without doubt; that is, directed by 
God's kind care. These two enemies, the Merrimac and 
the Monitor, soon had an opportunity to make each other's 
acquaintance. Several men-of-war were stationed at For- 
tress Monroe, among which were the steam-frigates Minne- 
sota, Roanoke, and the St. Lawrence, which ran down the 



''^''"lil 




i862.] ''On to Richmond !'' 233 

Petrel, ever so long ago. At Newport News, on the north- 
ern bank of the James River, a few miles from Fortress 
Monroe to the west, lay the Cumberland and the Congress, 
also belonging to the Nationals. You will remember that 
Commodore Goldsborough commanded the Union fleet in 
Hampton Roads at this time. 

On the very morning that General McClellan marched out 
to Manassas, the Merrimac was seen steaming slowly toward 
the Cumberland. The boom of her guns startled the garri- 
son at Fortress Monroe. The alarm-gun was fired. The 
long-roll was beaten. The men fell into line of battle. The 
vessels at anchor were made ready for action. Besides the 
Merrimac there were five other Confederate gunboats. With 
the force of her powerful engines she drove her bow, sharp 
as an eagle's beak, into the Cumberland. At the same time 
she opened a raking fire upon the frigate, not caring a pin 
for the broadsides which she received in return. In half an 
hour, water enough came into the Cumberland, through the 
hole made in her side, to cover the powder-magazine. But 
the Union frigate fought nobly till she began to roll over, 
when Lieutenant George M. Morris, who was in command, 
ordered the men to jump overboard, and save themselves. 
The saddest part of this story is, tliat the dead and the 
wounded could not be gotten off, and they went down with 
the ship. The Stars and Stripes floated at the peak long 
after her hull had disappeared under water. Meanwhile, the 
Congress had been fighting hard with the gunboats, holding 
out bravely until the Merrimac turned to attack her. When 
the ram found leisure, she soon finished the battle by setting 
the frigate on fire with hot shot. At last the Congress hauled 
down her colors, and hoisted in their place a white flag. 
She was commanded by Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, jun. 
His gray-haired father. Commodore Smith, was in Washing- 
ton, watching the despatches from Fortress Monroe. Suddenly 



234 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862 

• 

he said in a choking voice, " Joe is dead." — " How do you 
know?" asked a brother-officer. "He wotdd have never 
hauled down his flag while he lived : I know he is dead." 
And he was right. His son had been killed early in the 
battle ; and, as resistance was useless, her flag was lowered 
by the officer in charge. The three frigates at P'ortress 
Monroe, as soon as the firing began, made haste to go to the 
assistance of the Cumberland and Congress. Unfortunately 
they all got aground. Still the Merrimac kept off at a safe 
distance, shelling the Minnesota till night put an end to the 
strife. But there lay the terrible monster all ready to bom- 
bard the fort in the morning. One who spent that anxious 
night at Fortress Monroe has said, that through its long 
hours no one dared to sleep. The only hope for that garri- 
son was in the Monitor, which reported herself for orders at 
the end of the day's battle, and was welcomed thankfully. 
The next morning, which was Sunday, the queer-looking 
little craft lay close beside the Minnesota. Down came the 
Merrimac upon the frigate, as you have seen a hawk pounce 
upon a hen. The Minnesota's loud good-morning salute 
was made with shotted guns. The Monitor was not noticed 
as she lay alongside the Merrimac, looking like a big barrel, 
until she attracted attention to herself by a hundred and 
sixty-eight pound shot. The battle was now fairly opened. 
The Merrimac very soon ceased to attack the Minnesota, for 
the Monitor poked her sharp bill into the sides of the enemy, 
who returned the caress with interest. Finafly the Merrimac 
tried to run her little tormentor down. Five times the two 
vessels struck each other with full force. That the Merrimac 
had received some damage could be guessed when she began 
to work her way off. It was afterward found that her long 
iron prow was so strained that the vessel began to leak. 
The action had lasted several hours. The Monitor was not 
allowed to foUow the Merrimac, and so she went her own 



t862.] ''Oil to Richmond !'' 237 

way. The only person hurt on board the Monitor was her 
commander, Lieutenant John L, W^orden, who was struck in 
the face by a spHnter, bhnded, and made insensible for days. 
The first question that he asked upon recovery was, " Is the 
Minnesota safe ? " When he was told that he had saved her, 
and beaten the Merrimac, he answered, " I do not care, then, 
what becomes of me." It was hard to tell which was the 
greater hero in the eyes of loyal people, Worden the com- 
mander, or Ericsson the inventor. 

General McClellan reached Fortress Monroe on the 2d 
of April. Many of his troops were already there, and the 
rest were on the way. He also expected the assistance of 
General Wool's force, which had been in garrison there for 
some time. With this army, and the co-operation of the 
navy in Hampton Roads, he confidently looked for a glorious 
victory. The tongue of land lying between the York and 
the James Rivers, we call the peninsula. Upon the end 
nearest the sea stands Fortress Monroe. At what might 
be called the*" root of the tongue," far up the peninsula, 
is Richmond, the city to be captured. It was General 
McClellan's plan to march a part of his army to Yorktown, 
which is on the south bank of the York River. Another 
part was to keep along the James River, beyond Yorktown, 
to the neighborhood of Williamsburg. 

If "serious resistance " were made at these points, he would 
land McDowell's corps on the north bank of the York River, 
at Gloucester and West Point. It will help you to fix this 
plan in your minds to trace it carefully upon your map. A 
much easier way to reach Richmond, would have been to go 
by water, but the James River was already blockaded. At 
the outset of this campaign General McClellan was disap- 
pointed by the refusal of General Wool to allow a part 
of the force under his command to join the Army of the 
Potomac. 



238 Young Folks' Historjf of the Civil I Far. [1862. 

The march through the mud and rain had hardly begun, 
when the President telegraphed General McClellan that 
McDowell's corps, which was just embarking at Alexandria, 
must be sent back. A council of military advisers whom 
the President consulted, as well as the Secretary of War, gave 
an opinion that the Capital would not be safe with the number 
of men left for its defence, — the whole force being about 
twenty thousand. What a blow was thus given to the young 
commander at the start, one may guess. What could be 
done ? McDowell's corps was absolutely necessary to carry 
out the plan which McClellan had already begun to put into 
execution, and he was deprived of it v/ithout a word of 
warning. He begged for a part of it, at least for one 
division ; and the President did order General Franklin to 
report to McClellan. After a march of twenty-three miles, 
through heavy mud, and meeting all sorts of obstacles on 
the way, the Army of the Potomac went into camp before 
Yorktown, where, nearly one hundred )ears before, General 
Washington had pitched his tent. It was here that Lord 
Cornwallis surrendered. On this peninsula, also, John Smith 
and Pocahontas made each other's acquaintance in such 
romantic fashion. On historic ground like this, what could 
one look for but victory ? 

While the country was clamoring for action, and wondering 
what McClellan was waiting for, it began to be seen. Earth- 
works sprang up. Trenches were dug. Siege-guns were 
mounted. Every possible preparation for defence and attack 
was made, because a terrible battle was expected. Professor 
Lowe made daily observations of the enemy's movements in 
his balloon. One day General Fitz-John Porter was about 
to make the ascension with him, when suddenly the balloon 
broke loose, and began to rise. General Porter cried out 
in alarm that he was getting, higher and higher. " Pull the 
string," was the answer. He tugged at a rope which was 



i868.( ''On to RickiHond f*' 241 

dangling. " No ! pull the other," shouted the professor. 
General Porter seized the right one at last, and gradually 
began to come down. He descended a long way from the 
starting-point. Was it not fortunate that he did not find 
himself in the enemy's camp? 

When General McClellan was nearly ready to open the 
bombardment of Yorktown, he was astonished by a cannon- 
ade from the enemy. All day long the roar shook the ground, 
and at night it did not stop. Suddenly, at midnight, it was 
hushed ; and, when morning dawned, the rebels were gone. 
From his balloon Professor Lowe could see that they had 
packed up their baggage, and departed under cover of their 
own guns. They took care, however, to leave many litde 
tokens of brotherly-love in the shape of torpedoes, which 
were planted where, in walking, the soldiers were sure to 
explode them. But General McClellan made some Confed- 
erate prisoners dig them up. General John Magruder, the 
rebel commander at Yorktown, in his official report to his 
Government, said of McClellan, " To my surprise, he per- 
mitted day after day to pass without an assault." And after 
all it was found out that the rebel force had never exceeded 
eighteen thousand ; while, the day 1)efore the evacuation, the 
Union army had numbered one hundred thousand. 



>42 Yoimg Folks' History of the Civil War, [1862. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

A STORY OF DISAPPOINTMENT. 

MAMMA," asked a bright little boy, "which is the 
very dangerousest, — to be killed by a bear, or by a 
locomotive?" 

It might have been well if General McClellan had consid- 
ered a choice between two evils before allowing a month to 
pass without making an attack upon Yorktown. To be over- 
whelmed in battle by the immense force which he imagined 
inside the rebel works could hardly be more " dangerous " 
than to lose his men by disease. Of what use, now, were 
the earthworks and intrenchments which he had built at the 
cost of so many lives ? The country along the rivers of the 
Peninsula was very malarious, and the weather was warm and 
damp. Soldiers unused to exposure and hard work readily 
yielded to these influences. Hundreds who would have 
gladly risked the chance of battle sickened and died with- 
out striking a blow for the Union. 

Do you remember that the President pardoned William 
Scott early in the war, who was found sleeping at his post ? 
The boy was mortally wounded at the siege of Yorktown. 
As he lay dying, he said, "Bear witness that I am not a 
coward, and I am not afraid to die." Then, with a prayer 
for the President on his lips, his spirit passed away. 

Well, Yorktown was really deserted. It was, no doubt, 
a great surprise to General McClellan, which may perhaps 
account for his tardy pursuit of the retreating Confederates. 



i862.] A Stoiy of Disappoijitment.- 243 

They had stolen away at midnight, and it was noon before 
Stoneman's cavalry began to follow them. The rebel army, 
having thus twelve hours the start, was already safe in Wil- 
liamsburg. The infantry divisions of Generals J. E. Hooker 
and W. F. Smith were hastened by different roads to co-op- 
erate with Stoneman. The whole army was soon in motion. 
As second to McClellan in authority, General E. V. Sumner 
commanded the advancing troops. That night the army of 
the Potomac bivouacked in front of Williamsburg, in a 
drenching storm, without shelter or food. 

Early in the morning General Hooker began hostilities, 
without especial orders, but upon the principle that he was 
sent to overtake a retreating army, and that it was his busi- 
ness to make the attack. " By so doing," he says in his 
report, '' my division, if it did not capture the army before 
me, would at least hold it, that some others might." He 
knew that there were enough Union troops within the sound 
of his guns to support him, and as many more on the way ; 
and he confidently looked for aid. 

Fort Magruder stood at the junction of two roads, imme- 
diately in Hooker's front. Its approach was defended by 
redoubts and rifle-pits. A redoubt is a small outwork, and 
you can easily guess that a rifle-pit is a trench where sharp- 
shooters may see without being seen. General Longstreet, 
who commanded the Confederates, placed his entire division 
so as to engage Hooker in a desperate battle against great 
odds. Nevertheless, so vigorous was Hooker's attack, that, 
at nine in the morning, Fort Magruder was silenced, and 
he had established communication with General Sumner. 
Toward noon General W. S. Hancock was despatched with 
a sufficient force to occupy one of the redoubts in front of 
Fort Magruder, which had been abandoned by the rebels. 
It was quickly done ; and another, still farther forward, was 
also secured. Hancock's position being a strong one, he 



244 young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

began skirmishing, to distract the attention of the enemy from 
Hooker's exhausted command, which until now had been 
fighting alone. 

The manoeuvre was successful so far as to drive the enemy 
out of position ; but Hancock soon found himself in very 
uncomfortable quarters. He began to fall back slowly, fol- 
lowed by the Confederates till they were quite near, when 
suddenly he turned upon them, and gave the memorable 
order which will go down to history, " Now, gentlemen, give 
them the bayonet ! " Not a word of profanity, not a word 
of boasting ; yet never was command more gallantly obeyed. 
A line of gleaming steel was instantly displayed, and with a 
deafening yell the whole brigade charged upon the pursuers. 
Brave as the rebels were, they could not resist the shock. 
Panic-stricken, they fled, leaving their dead and wounded 
vvhere they fell. 

This happened upon the right. Upon the left, Hooker 
was still engaging the enemy, though less fiercely than at 
first. At two o'clock General Philip Kearne}' arrived with 
fresh troops, thus allowing Hooker's division to fall back. 
His ranks were sadly thinned. His ammunition had given 
out, the last having been taken from the cartridge-boxes of 
dead comrades. The ground was strewn with the dead and 
dying. Kearney stimulated his men to courage by his own 
example. He rode at the head of his staff out into an open 
afield where the rebels were supposed to be hidden, In- 
standy a hail of shot told him that he was seen. Two of his 
aides were killed, and others were separated from him. As 
he rode back almost alone, he cried, " Now, boys, you see 
where to fire ! " And they did see. 

They kept Longstreet busy till General Hancock had per- 
formed the flank movement of which you. already know, and 
which caused the Confederates to withdraw inside of their 
own lines. 




GENERAL M'CLELLAN IN THE BATTLE. 



i862.] A Story of Disappointment. 247 

When darkness ended the battle, there had been no vic- 
tory on either side. But that was a night to be remembered. 
Why it always rains after a battle, science explains satisfac- 
torily ; but that does not make the storm one whit more 
endurable. The mud and water were knee-deep, so that 
many of the soldiers could not He down, however ill and 
tired they might be. No fires were lighted, and again they 
went supperless. There was no way to minister to the dying 
and wounded, whose groans filled the air. The loss on both 
sides had been nearly four thousand, killed, wounded, and 
missing. Nothing had been gained but experience. 

Late in the afternoon General McClellan arrived, and was 
received with loud cheers. He had remained at Yorktown 
during the day, directing the divisions of Porter and Frank- 
lin, which were to be sent up the York River to West Point. 
Franklin's division was that one which President Lincoln had 
consented to send from McDowell's corps, in answer to Mc- 
Clellan's appeal. They had arrived at West Point two days 
later. In the night the rebels left Williamsburg, rapidly has- 
tening toward Richmond., Their dead and wounded were 
left on the field. The next morning the sun shone, the birds 
sang, and the flowers blossomed, as if the noise and smoke 
of battle had never filled the air. The Nationals immedi- 
ately installed themselves in the rebel works. General Mc- 
Clellan and his staff, with an escort of soldiers, rode into the 
town of Williamsburg, a few miles distant. They found a 
white flag flying from nearly every house, for the town had 
been practically turned into a Confederate hospital. 

No preparations were made for the immediate pursuit of 
the rebel army, the condition of the roads being given as a 
reason for delay. But a historian of those times makes the 
sensible suggestion, that " one would think, that, where rebels 
could lead, patriots could follow." 

McClellan now renewed his entreaty for more troops. 



248 Yojing Folks' Histof'y of the Civil War. [1862. 

While his army had suffered losses by battle and disease, 
that of the Confederates was constantly increasing. In the 
South, a conscription, or " draft " as it was sometimes called, 
had been made. Every man who was strong enough to 
carry arms, from the age of eighteen to that of forty-five, 
was compelled to enter the service of the Confederacy. 
Before the war ended, mere boys and old men were con- 
scripted to fill up the ranks, because there were no others 
left. 

We will leave McClellan to rest at Williamsburg, and take 
the opportunity to look about us. 

General Joseph E. Johnston, as Confederate commander 
of the Peninsula, advised the retirement of the Confederate 
force from Norfolk, as well as the destruction, for the second 
time, of the Gosport Navy-yard at Portsmouth. 'This order 
was carried out just after McClellan's army arrived before 
Yorktown. When General Wool heard that the rebels were 
preparing to go, he went over from Fortress Monroe, with a 
force of five thousand men, to take possession of the town. 
Commodore Goldsborough assisted in this operation, of 
which President Lincoln was a spectator. The troops were 
taken in transports to a summer watering-place not far from 
Norfolk, called Ocean View. Here they were landed ; and 
a march of a few hours brought the little army to Norfolk, 
where it was met by a flag of truce. The mayor immedi- 
ately followed in person, turning the city over to General 
Wool. An order was issued that the citizens be protected 
in all their peaceable rights and occupations. 

While this was going on, tlie navy-yard was fired by the 
rebels, and all the ships in their power were scuttled and 
sunk. The fine dry-dock, which escaped so singularly before, 
was this time partially destroyed. The next morning after 
the surrender of Norfolk, just as day began to streak the sky, 
a vivid flash was seen, and a roar like thunder followed it. It 



! 



1862.] A Story of Disappointment. 251 

was the death-groan of the Merriniac. Fearing that she 
would fall into Yankee hands, the Confederates had blown 
her up. The gunboats which had annoyed the Nationals 
now fled to Richmond, leaving " all quiet " on the James as 
well as on the Potomac. General Johnston and his army 
were encamped south of the Rappahannock when McClel- 
lan started for the Peninsula. When the Confederates left 
Manassas, they removed their batteries from the Potomac, 
which left the Nationals free to go by water to Fortress Mon- 
roe. About the middle of April, General Johnston joined 
Magruder at Yorktown ; and, as senior in rank, he assumed 
command of both the Confederate armies there. 

Before that, Magruder's force only numbered about one- 
third as many as the Union army outside of Yorktown. 

But, in order to understand the causes which influenced 
the failure or success of the Army of the Potomac, we 
must not lose sight of events which took place elsewhere, 
at the same time with those already mentioned. If we set 
up a row of blocks a little way apart, and knock the first 
one down, it will fall against the next, and so all will 
tumble. So one victory or defeat will aflect all the armies 
in one way or another. 

That wild and beautiful region of Virginia which lies along 
the Shenandoah River, between two ranges of mountains, is 
called the Shenandoah Valley. In the autumn of 1861 
General Thomas J. Jackson, or '' Stonewafl " Jackson as he 
is better known, occupied Winchester in this valley with a 
considerable Confederate force. Only through the ceaseless 
activity of General Lander, was he prevented from crossing 
the Potomac. But Jackson contrived to make raids upon 
the neighboring towns, and got between the forces of Lander 
and Kelly, thus occupying the town of Romney. Until the 
advance of General Banks in the following March compefled 
him to retire farther up the valley, he had been a very dan- 



252 Young Folks' Histojy of the Civil War. [1862. 

gerous neighbor. Early in March, General Lander died of 
a wound received at Ball's Bluff, and was succeeded by Gen- 
eral Shields, with headquarters at Strasburg. 

After Jackson's departure, General Shields was withdrawn 
to join McDowell. Jackson at once turned to give chase. 
A hotly contested battle at Kernstown was the result : and 
Jackson was defeated with a loss of five hundred killed and 
wounded. Now, it will be seen that a comparatively unimpor- 
tant event ended in a general upsetting of military schemes. 
As soon as Jackson was repulsed at Winchester, Banks's corps 
joined Shields in the pursuit as far as Woodstock, instead of 
keeping on to Manassas, whither he was going. A division 
from General Fremont's corps under General Milroy was 
ordered to report to Banks forthwith. But in the interval 
Jackson had also been largely re-enforced by tlie command 
of General Edward Johnson. It soon became apparent to 
Banks that his position was very unsafe. Shields had gone 
to join McDowell at Fredericksburg, and Milroy did not 
arrive. There was good reason for this. Joining their forces, 
Jackson and Johnson succeeded in getting in a position to 
intercept Milroy on his way. They completely routed him 
after a sharp batde, and he retreated the following night. 
Ewell was watching Banks while this was going on ; and the 
latter, feeling that " the better part of valor is discretion," 
began to fall back slowly toward Winchester. Jackson and 
Ewell followed quickly, capturing and surprising Front Royal 
on the way, not, however, without a sturdy resistance on the 
part of its small garrison. A singular illustration of the way 
in which families were divided against themselves in this un- 
happy war was given at Front Royal. The First Maryland 
Regiment of Nationals was captured by the First Maryland 
Confederate Regiment. 

At Winchester, Banks took the defensive against too great 
odds ; for after five hours of fighting, which ended in de- 



I862.J A Story of Disappointment 253 

feat, the Nationals began again to retreat. Nor did they 
stop until the Potomac had been crossed. That little vic- 
tory of General Shields at Kernstovvn indirectly lost to the 
army of General Banks two thousand brave men. 

Now let us turn once more to the Army of the Potomac, 
and note the effect of these operations upon it. General 
McDowell was already at Fredericksburg, on the Rappahan- 
nock, preparing to unite his force of forty-one thousand 
men with McClellan, when the news of Banks's defeat and 
of Jackson's approach reached Washington. The greatest 
excitement and alarm filled the North. The governor of 
almost every loyal State issued a proclamation calling for 
volunteers. Nearly half a million of men, in less than 
twenty-four hours, offered their services in defence of Wash- 
ington. Alarmed for the safety of the capital, the Presi- 
dent instantly telegraphed McDowell to " lay aside for the 
present the movement on Richmond," and to put twenty 
thousand men immediately into the Shenandoah Valley for 
the re-enforcement of Fremont. In vain the two generals, 
McClellan and McDowell, assured Mr. Lincoln that his fears 
were groundless, that the rebels only wished to "scare" 
him so as to prevent aid from being sent to the Army of the 
Potomac. The panic had taken complete possession of the 
authorities at Washington, and they remained firm in their 
decision. On the 24th of May, McDowell again turned 
back. Then another race began, in which, as usual, Jackson 
came out ahead. He slipped between Fremont, and Shields's 
division of McDowell's corps ; and in the battles of Cross 
Keys and Fort Republic he whipped the Nationals, and 
took many prisoners. General Turner Ashby, the daring 
and efficient commander of Jackson's cavalry, was killed 
at Port Republic. His loss was deeply felt, for he was one 
of the best generals in the Confederate army. 

All this time the Army of the Potomac kept moving in 



254 Young Folks' History of the Civil IV^zr. [1862. 

• 

the general direction of Richmond, going so slowly, and 
resting so often, that there hardly seemed a pretence of pur- 
suit On the 1 6th of May the Union gunboats, headed by 
the Monitor, went up the James River. At Fort Darling, 
however, within a few miles of Richmond, they were checked ; 




A DOUBLE-TURRET IRONCLAD. 



and after a sharp fight they returned to City Point. The 
api)earance of the gunboats so near the rebel capital, in 
connection with McClellan's advance, caused a great ex- 
citement there. 

The main body of General Johnston's army was already 
under cover of the batteries of Richmond before McClellan 
left Williamsburg. It will be remembered that troops under 
Franklin and Porter had gone up the York River to West 



i862.j A Story of Disappointment. 255 

Point. General Stoneman had been sent by land to co- 
operate with them, and as early as the i6th had established 
communication with them at the White House, on the south 
bank of the Pamunkey River. This does not mean, of course, 
the White House at Washington, in which the President lives. 
It is a house bearing that name, within seven miles of Rich- 
mond, and built upon the spot where another white house 
stood, in which General Washington was married. This old 
house was removed many years ago ; but the place has been 
sacredly remembered, as all places should be which are in 
any way connected with our first great President. 

On the 2 1 St of May the Army of the Potomac was en- 
camped between the Pamunkey and Chickahominy Rivers, 
with its face toward Richmond. The news of General Mc- 
Dowell's recall had not yet been received, although it was 
known that he had left Fredericksburg. McClellan also .<.uew 
that Anderson's brigade of rebels was hovering about that 
neighborhood, while at Hanover Court-House another bri- 
gade was lying in wait for McDowell. 

Now a long and thorough survey of the map must be 
taken in order to understand the operations of the next few 
days. Do you see that Fredericksburg is to the north of 
Richmond, and a litde to the west? Hanover Court-House 
is therefore in the direct line of march to Richmond. Thus 
an enemy could threaten McClellan, and at the same time 
cut off McDowell. To avoid this danger, and supposing 
McDowell to be on the way. General Fitz-John Porter was 
despatched to Hanover Court-House with a sufficient force 
"to clear the enemy from the upper peninsula," and to de- 
stroy bridges on the rivers in the rear of McClellan's army. 
He got on famously at first, but at the junction of two roads 
the rear of his column was attacked by the Confederates. 
When General Porter heard of it, he faced about, and re- 
pulsed his assailants in a very brilliant engagement. The 



256 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

Confederates fell rapidly back, leaving a howitzer, a caisson, 
some small arms, two railway-trains, and two hundred dead 
on the field. In killed, wounded, and prisoners, their loss 
was over one thousand ; while the Federal loss did not ex- 
ceed three hundred and fifty men. Having cut the bridges, 
and routed the enemy, Porter returned to the main army 
again. But, as we already know, this work was quite un- 
necessary, since McDowell was never to need protection in 
his march to join McClellan. 



Faint, yet Pursuing!' 257 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

•'FAINT, YET PURSUING.'* 

ALTHOUGH Richmond was so near, there was a 
"giant" in the way. To cross the marshy Chicka- 
hominy was by no means the Hghtest peril to be encountered. 
What with an insufficient number of bridges and the swampy 
banks on each side, the task was a difficult one. Keyes's 
corps began crossing on the 20th, at Bottom's Bridge ; a few 
days later it was encamped at Seven Pines, about seven miles 
from Richmond. Heintzelman's corps had also crossed. 
Hooker, who belonged to it, took up his position at White 
Oak Swamp, and Kearney near Savage's Station. So the 
Chickahominy divided the army. On the other side were 
the corps of Franklin, Sumner, and Porter. General Mc- 
Clellan made his headquarters near them at Gaines's Mill. 
Now we shall have this army of a hundred and twenty thou- 
sand, officers and men, well under our eyes. 

You already know that General J. E. Johnston was at this 
time commander-in-chief of the Confederate army. His 
headquarters were at Richmond, of course. Johnston was 
too good a general to be very long in perceiving the advan- 
tage of striking a blow while the Union army was thus 
divided. He had gathered a sufficient force in these two 
months to be ready for any work which he might have to do. 
By the evacuation of Norfolk, General Huger's command 
was added to the garrison of Richmond ; so that what the 
Confederates lost in position they gained in numbers. 



258 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

On the last day of May the Confederates fell upon Casey's 
division of Keyes's corps. Heintzelman hastened to Casey's 
support ; but the ground was so swampy and broken that he 
was delayed, till, after a fierce engagement, the Federals had 
fallen back, when Kearney appeared, and another sharp 
contest followed. More rebels poured in, and drove the 
Unionists back as far as Fair Oaks. A messenger, in the 
mean while, had been sent to General McClellan for aid. 

General Sumner's corps had just finished building two 
bridges across the river^ and he lost no time in getting re- 
enforcements over them. When it seemed as if the whole 
Union army on the south bank of the Chickahominy would 
be cut to pieces. General Sedgwick's division came upon the 
field. With a gallant charge, it drove the enemy back in 
disorder, and saved the day. 

A story is told by General O. O. Howard, of a touching 
scene which occurred at the close of the first day's battle, 
in which he was himself an actor. "The field was not 
silent ; for far and near we heard the cries of the wounded 
who were not yet removed by our ambulance-corps, I then 
heard a voice which one could never forget. It was not far 
from us. It said, ' O sir, kind sir, come to me ! ' The ear- 
nest entreaty affected me strangely, and I hastened to him. 
'O sir, I'm so glad you've come!' — 'What command do 
you belong to, my man ? ' I asked. ' I am a private of the 
Mississippi Regiment,' he replied, giving me the num- 
ber, which I do not recall. ' I am badly wounded, as you 
see. Our boys have gone on, and left me.' From glimpses, 
I saw that he was dressed in the long-worn, dingy gray. 
Across his body, not quite covering his tall form, was a new 
double blanket. ' O sir, I was so cold ! I am cold still. 
Some kind gentleman from Massachusetts spread his blanket- 
over me. Yet I don't know why ; but I am still cold.' " 

" Poor fellow ! His wound was fatal, and it was the chill of 



I862.J 



^^ Faint, yet Piirstiingr 



259 



death creeping over him. Those tender 
gentle tones, ' Some kind gen- 
tleman from Massachusetts 
spread his blanket over me/ 
will never pass from my mem- 
ory. A Union soldier had given his 
blanket to a wounded enemy, and he 
had won the love of a human soul. 
' If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if 
he thirst, give him drink.' " 

That afternoon General Sumner 
wished to communicate by telegraph 
with Generals McClellan and Smith on 
the other side of the river. Nichols, 
the operator, who was with Sumner, 
was but a beardless youth of seven- 
teen. He had only three feet of wire, 
and one would not think that much 
could be done with that. Not wishing 
to cut off communication with either 
general by separating the 
wire, he must devise another 
way. With the help of the 
commissary, he piled cracker- 
boxes to the top of a pole, 
hung a lantern there, con- 
nected his wire, and estab- 
lished his "office.'' 
He kept it open 



words, uttered in 




till long after dark ; and, although he was a pretty good 



26o 



Yoiuig Folks' Historji of the Civil War. [iSfe. 



target for sharpshooters with his twinkUng hght, he showed 










no sign of fear. The foundation of 
his lofty house of business was pret- 
ty well riddled with bullets, but he 
kept his post till he was ordered to 
leave it. 

The next day the battle was vig- 
orously renewed. It was a sweet 
Sunday morning, the first day of 
une. After some hard fighting, the 
Confederates were repulsed, even 
routed, being driven back a mile be- 
yond Fair Oaks. In that last rally 
of the Federals, General O. O. How- 
ard received a wound in his right 
arm. He did not stop for that ; but 
a few minutes later, while leading his 
command in the very midst of the 
enemy, another shot broke the same 
arm at the elbow, and at the same 
time his horse was disabled. z'\t 
length he was compelled by faint- 
ness to retire, and late in the after- 
noon his arm was amputated. But 
the Nationals held their own ground 
again, which had been occupied by 
Casey the day before. The next morning General Howard 



i862.] *^ Faint, yet Pursuing!' 261 

was waiting for other wounded, who with himself were to 
be removed in a freight-car, when General Phihp Kearney 
rode up. Dismounting, he extended his only arm, for his 
left sleeve was empty, and grasped General Howard's left 
hand. They looked into each other's eyes ; and Howard 
said cheerily, " There is one thing we can do, General : we 
can buy our gloves together!" Kearney replied, "Sure 
enough ! " and with a smile the two friends parted, never to 
meet again in life. 

The Union arms had been victorious, but what a price to 
pay for success ! Ten thousand friends and foes lay heaped 
together, dead or wounded. After the battle a surgeon 
found a drummer-boy whom he supposed to be dead. Feel- 
ing his pulse, the doctor exclaimed, "Why, the child is 
alive !" — "Yes, sir, I am alive," the boy said, and opened 
his eyes. " Will you send me to my mother? " — " Where is 
your mother, my child? " — " In Sumterville, N.C.," he re- 
plied. " Oh, yes, my son ! " answered the surgeon kindly : 
" we will certainly send you to your mother." — " Well, well, 
that is kind," he said : " I will go to sleep now." And the 
homesick child shut his eyes in the sleep of death. Poor 
little Confederate ! He had no more bad dreams of war 
and blood. 

General J. E. Johnston had been wounded in the engage- 
ment the day before, and now General R. E. Lee was placed 
in command of the Confederate army. 

This battle has been given two names. The Confeder- 
ates call it the battle of Seven Pines, because it was fought 
near a tavern beside which stood seven lonely pines. The 
Unionists have given it the name of Fair Oaks, by which we 
will call it. The morning after the battle General Hooker 
with a considerable force advanced within four miles of 
Richmond, meeting no enemy. No doubt there were good 
reasons why no advantage was taken of a situation which 



262 Young Folks History of the Civil War. [1862. 

seemed promising to the success of the Unionists. We 
know that one cause was the perpetual rain of that season, 
which had swollen the streams, so that bridges were carried 
away. The ground had become so soft, that artillery-wagons 
sank deeply of their own weight. 

During the brief quiet which followed the battle of Fair 
Oaks, General Lee sent a famous cavalry-officer named Gen- 
eral J. E. B. Stuart, with a body of men, to reconnoitre. 
This man, usually called "Jeb" Stuart, a nickname spelled 
by his initials, was as bold as a freebooter. One might 
imagine him wearing the "Lincoln green." He actually 
rode around the entire Army of the Potomac, burning 
wagons, and capturing horses and prisoners. He started 
from the south, and returned from the north. His ride led 
to an immediate attack upon Porter, who still occupied the 
extreme right of the Union army, on the north bank of 
the Chickahominy. 

McClellan spent nearly all of the month of June in build- 
ing bridges and intrenchments, while the whole army breathed 
the poisoned air of swamps and marshes. Neither were the 
Confederates idle. They fortified Richmond so well, that 
even a small force could have held it against an assault, 
and strengthened their army by every possible means. 

Stonewall Jackson was still flying about the Shenandoah 
Valley, a terror to Unionists everywhere ; but he was always 
prepared, upon short notice, to turn and attack McClellan, 
thus co-operating with Lee. At length that time came. 

Once more re-enforcements had been promised to Mc- 
Clellan ; and he was waiting for these, to make a final advance 
upon Richmond, when news was received that Jackson was 
already at Hanover Court- House. The next day McClel- 
lan's pickets were driven in from the rear. There could be 
no choice of evils now. He must fight, whether he was 
ready or not. General McCall was posted at Mechanicsville, 



i862.] " Faint, yet Pursuing'' 263 

where, on the 26th of June, began the famous "seven-days' 
battles." General McCall's position at Mechanicsville was 
" of great natural and artificial strength." At a certain point 
in the battle, a turn in the road gave the Unionists the 
enemy's flank. McCall used this advantage with telling 
effect. At sunset the enemy had been repulsed with a 
heavy loss, while the Nationals had suffered httle. The 
battle was a Union victory. Still the Union soldiers slept 
on their arms that night, expecting another attack in the 
morning. Instead, however, McCall was ordered to fall 
back to Gaines's Mill, to rejoin General Porter. The 
weather had suddenly become hot and dry. Clouds of 
dust, like smoke, marked the movements of each army. 
About two in the afternoon the enemy's approach was dis- 
covered. The division of A. P. Hill made the attack, being 
re-enforced after two hours by Longstreet. Tired and ex- 
hausted as McCall's troops were, they fought manfully. 
Sometimes the balance seemed to be upon one side, and 
sometimes upon the other. To many of the Confederates 
this was their first battle, but the raw recruits were as brave 
as veterans. With a yell, they rushed to the very muzzles 
of Porter's guns. It did not seem to . matter to them that 
their ranks were cut down like swaths of grass. More fol- 
lowed eagerly, till Porter began to call anxiously for help. 
Re-enforcements came at last ; but Confederate reserves also 
arrived at the same time, making a desperate assault upon 
the weakest place in the Union lines. The Federals gave 
way, and fled in disorder, spreading the panic from wing to 
centre. Two fresh brigades coming up at that moment, how- 
ever, restored order. The Federals raUied once more, and 
slowly feU back across the Chickahominy. They had lost the 
battle of Gaines's MiU and six thousand brave men besides, 
who deserved a better fate. With a single corps of thirty- 
five thousand. General McClellan had opposed seventy 



264 Young Folks' History, of the Civil War. [1862. 

thousand men, said to be the best fighting material in the 
Confederate army. The rebel general, Magruder, expressed 
the opinion, that, had McClellan concentrated his whole 
army in this battle, " the city (Richmond) might have been 
his reward." Next day the Union army was on its way to 
the James. Before it, was sent a supply-train of five thou- 
sand wagons, followed by a herd of twenty-five hundred 
head of cattle. 

McClellan had determined to change his " base of opera- 
lions " from the York River to the James ; that is, to ap- 
proach Richmond from the south side of the Chickahominy, 
and receive his supplies by the way of the James River. He 
therefore gave up the idea of capturing Richmond at present, 
and began, at Gaines's Mill, to fall back to the James River. 
Through a swamp, under a scorching sun, many a worn-out 
soldier dropped in the ranks, and was left to die by the road- 
side in that unhappy march. The Federal retreat was un- 
known to the Confederates until the next morning, when 
Magruder started in pursuit, overtaking Sumner, toward 
evening, near Savage's Station. He was repulsed, however, 
after a furious battle, lasting between four and five hours, — 
as long as there was light enough for brothers to see to kill 
each other. Peace always comes with the darkness. Under 
its shadow, the Army of the Potomac again retreated, leav- 
ing twenty-five hundred poor fellows in hospital at Savage's 
Station. The chaplain. Dr. Marks, remained with them to 
share their fate, rather than leave them without care and 
nursing. Those who were not fortunate enough to die, en- 
dured the horrors of rebel prisons. All night the troops 
struggled on through Whiite Oak Swamp, weary, footsore, 
faint, to find themselves next morning at a clearing called 
Glendale. The rear of that miserable column suffered un- 
told horrors. Monday, the 30th, in the afternoon, the attack 
began with the fury of a tempest. Here the Confederates 



1862.J ^^ Faint y yet Pttrsuing'' 265 

meant to crush the Nationals utterly. They were all there, 
— Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, and the two Hills. The battle 
soon became a hand-to-hand encounter with bayonets. 
General McCall was taken prisoner, and General George G. 
Meade was wounded. x\bout four in the afternoon the 
Confederates gathered their strength, and swept in upon the 
tired and hungry Nationals, as an avalanche sweeps down 
the sides of the Alps. But, when they seemed about to be 
overwhelmed, a happy thought came to General Butterfield. 
He ordered all the regimental bands to the front, and "in 
one great burst of sound " they played the Star-spangled 
Banner. 

Cheer after cheer rose wildly, and the whole army caught 
the inspiration. They fought desperately till long after night- 
fall, and the rebels were finally driven back. But think of 
the death-roll ! " Here it was, that, among the Confederates, 
a son of Major Peyton, but fifteen years old, called to his 
father for help. A. ball had shattered both his legs. ' When 
we have beaten the enemy, I will help you,' answered Peyton : 
' I have other sons to lead to glory. Forward ! ' But the 
column had advanced only a few paces, when the major 
himself fell to the earth, a corpse. History will ask in vain 
for braver soldiers than those 'who here fought and fell." 
This was the fifth day. . Another night of marching brought 
the Nationals to Malvern Hill — all that remained, at least, 
of the grand Army of the Potomac. Words cannot describe 
that day, the ist of July. No doubt the troops were dis- 
couraged, and that always makes things worse. We know 
that they were tired and ill. Still, all day skirmishes were 
kept up. But at six in the evening the battle really opened 
in earnest. The Nationals were posted on a hill, and hence 
had the advantage of position. Every charge the enemy 
made, was certain death. The poor boys in gray stained 
with their blood the hillside against which they rushed so 



266 Yowig Folks ' Histofy of the Civil War. [1862. 

hopelessly, obedient to orders. The James River had now 
been reached, and the Union gunboats were taking part in 
the battle. At nine o'clock the rebels gave up the struggle, 
and retreated into the shelter of the woods and ravines. 
Their loss that day was said to be not less than five thou- 
sand, being more than one-fourth of the total Confederate 
loss in the " seven days." The battle of Malvern Hills was 
a victory and yet a retreat. The Union army quietly re- 
treated that night to Harrison's Landing, on the bank of the 
James River. 

It was in a sad plight indeed ; but the men well deserved 
the praise which General McClellan had bestowed upon 
them when he said, "The soldiers of this army love their 
government, and will fight well in its support. You may 
rely upon them." Their last battle occurred on the ist of 
July, and by the Nation's birthday they were pretty well 
settled in their quarters at Harrison's Landing. A few days 
later President Lincoln paid a visit to the Army of the 
Potomac. Such a kindly, cheery visitor must have been 
very welcome at such a time. Because he was so gentle and 
so fatherly, the soldiers called him " Uncle Abe." 

" Passing through the grounds of the Executive Mansion 
one afternoon, just after the*' seven-days' battles,' ending at 
Malvern Hills, the President was observed looking at an 
object in a bush. A friend approaching said, 'What is the 
matter, Mr. Lincoln ? ' He repUed, ' There is a young bird 
which has got out of its nest, and I am trying to get it 
back.' It appeared that a young bird had tried its wings 
too soon ; and whilst its mother was fluttering, affrighted at 
the danger to the fledgling, the Commander-in-Chief and 
President of the Republic could feel pity, and stop to help 
it back to its nest." Such was the man who was at the 
head of the nation during the cruel war of the Rebellion. 

In less than a year after Mr. Lincoln's inauguration, a 



i862.] ^^ Faint, yet Pursuing^ 267 

bitter sorrow came to him in the death of his second son, 
WiUie, but eleven years old. Perhaps this made him the 
more tender to those bereaved of their sons by the fate of 
war. One day there came to the White House an old woman 
to ask Mr. Lincoln to pardon her boy for desertion. "Where 
is your petition?" asked the President. "I have none," 
she answered. '' I thought I would come and ask for myself, 
because I'm too poor to pay a lawyer to write it out." Mr. 
Lincoln sent for a list of the prisoners confined for that 
offence. Counting them, he exclaimed, " Twenty-seven ! 
Well, these poor fellows have suffered long enough, I think. 
And now, while I have the papers in my hand, I'll turn out 
the flock." So he wrote, " Let the within prisoners be dis- 
charged," and signed his name. The poor woman wiped 
away her tears, and said, " Good-by, Mr. President : may we 
meet in heaven ! " He took her hand in both his, and replied, 
" With all that I have to cross me here, I am afraid I shall 
never get there ; but your wish to meet me there has fully 
repaid me for all I have done for you." 

Before Mr. Lincoln's election, in i860, a little girl was 
shown his picture. As she looked at it, she said to her 
mother that she thought he would look much better if he 
wore whiskers, adding, I believe I'll write and tell him so." 
The mother did not object, so the child carried out her pur- 
pose. In her letter she said that she thought he would make 
a good president, but she wished he would wear his whiskers, 
which would improve his appearance. Perhaps she felt 
sorry to wound his pride : so she told him she thought the 
" rail fence " around his lithograph, which she had seen, was 
" real pretty." After giving him a history of herself and 
family, she closed by asking him to let his little girl answer 
the letter, if he had not time, and addressed the envelope to 
"Hon. Abraham Lincoln, Esq." 

It was not long before the following answer came : — 



268 Young Folks' History of the Civil War, [1862. 

Springfield, 111, Oct. 19, i860. 

My dear little Miss, — Your very agreeable letter of the 15th 
is received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughter. I 
have three sons, — one seventeen, one nine, and one seven years of 
age. They with their mother constitute my whole family. As to the 
whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call 
it a piece of silly affectation if I should begin it now? 
Your very sincere well wisher 

A Lincoln. 



The next summer four soldiers were strolling along the 
Potomac River road, when they met a carriage driving to- 
ward Washington. On the box sat two colored men in 
livery. One of the soldiers said, " They think they are 
some, don't they? Let's have some fun with them." As 
the others agreed, they all kept the road. Soon the carriage 
stopped, and a voice called out, "What is wanted?" The 
boys turned, and saw a white-haired man at the carriage- 
window. " We want to take a ride with you to see ' Old 
Abe.'" — " Did you never see him? " asked the man, getting 
out. Three others followed him ; and, before the astonished 
soldiers could answer, he continued pleasantly, " Soldiers, I 
introduce to you the President of the United States ; also 
the Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War ; the Hon. Wil- 
liam H. Seward, Secretary of State ; and myself, Gideon 
Welles." The President stepped forward, shook hands with 
the men, and laughed heartily at the joke ; although one of 
the soldiers afterwards said that their situation had "passed the 
laughing-point." 

While the good President never masqueraded in the cos- 
tume of another, he never took pains to proclaim himself. 
Like many another great man, he enjoyed plain people 
who spoke their minds to him as frankly as to each other. 

Mr. Lincoln was far from pleased with General Mc- 



i862.| ^'Painty yet Purstthig!^ 269 

Clellan's part in the operations on the Peninsula. Still he 
did not storm about it, blaming everybody but himself. 
That would not bring the dead to life, nor cure the sick, 
nor unlock prison-doors. He did, however, ask McClellan 
for an account of the noble army intrusted to his care, whose 
official report now gave, " not over fifty thousand men with 
their colors." Where were the remaining thousands? It 
was a sad showing. 

The Army of the Potomac was keenly disappointed to 
give up the march to Richmond, after its hard-won victory 
at Malvern Hills. Many an officer gave the order to retreat, 
with cheeks burning with shame. Only one day's march ! 
How near it looks on the map ! General Philip Kearney 
said, in talking over the matter willi some brother-officers, 
" I Philip Kearney, an old soldier, enter my solemn protest 
against this order to retreat, ^^'e ought, instead, to follow 
up the enemy, and take Richmond." 

On the 26th of June, the day of the battle at Mechanics- 
ville, John Pope, Major-General of Volunteers, was appointed 
to the command of the Army of Virginia. The forces com- 
prising it were three corps, under Cienerals Fremont, Banks, 
and McDowell. General Fremont, however, was unwilling 
to serve under Pope, who was his junior in rank : therefore 
General Franz Sigel was given that cor]:)s which had been 
intended for Fremont. While each of these generals was 
responsible for his own immediate command, the direction 
of them all was given to General Pope. You will hardly 
need an introduction to this new commander, for through 
his perseverance you have already been admitted to Island 
Number Ten. He was a graduate of the Military Academy 
at West Point, had served in the Mexican war, and had 
been brevetted for his services there. The history of Gen- 
eral Fremont is familiar to every one. General Banks had 
been Governor of Massachusetts, but had neither military 



270 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [isea. 

training nor experience when the war began. He owed his 
appointment to the command of a corps, simply to his patri- 
otic enthusiasm, and his high character as a citizen. Sigel 
was a German. In his youth he had some mihtary educa- 
tion. With his great abihty for carrying out mihtary plans, 
he had distinguished himself in the West at the very out- 
break of the Rebellion. McDowell's history was a repetition 
of that of Pope, — West Point, the Mexican war, promotion 
for gallantry. He commanded at Bull Run, and failed ; he 
was, nevertheless, a good general. 

Beside those already named, the forces in and around 
Washington were added to Pope's army, making it about 
fifty thousand strong. With it he was expected to protect 
the capital, threaten Richmond, and " guard the valley en- 
trance to Maryland, in the rear of Washington." The Presi- 
dent, in the mean time, had ascertained that McClellan had 
under-estimated his army, and that he had still eighty-six 
thousand men present, and fit for duty. 

Under the present circumstances it was most unfortunate 
that a cordial understanding did not exist between the 
commander of the Army of the Potomac -and the new com- 
mander of the Army of Virginia. ^Vhen McClellan proposed 
change of base from the York to the James River, Pope 
advised him not to do it. McClellan did not regard his 
suggestion. Then Pope tried to bring about a more friendly 
feeling by offers to assist him on the James. But McClellan 
did not like to be interfered with. So there was an end to 
any attempt to " make up." 

It now became apparent that there must be a head to the 
military affairs of the nation ; and, as we have already hinted, 
General .Halleck was called from the West, to take the posi 
tion of General-in-Chief. 



A New Commander. 2Tt 



CHAPTER XIX. 

A NEW COMMANDER. 

AMERICANS are naturally hopeful. Therefore, when 
General Halleck came to be installed Commander-in- 
Chief, it was expected that a new broom would sweep clean. 
He had gained glorious triumphs in the West, why not in the 
East? 

A growing distrust of McClellan had so far taken posses- 
sion of the President and his advisers, that, at this very criti- 
cal time, McClellan's opinion was scarcely listened to. In 
the beginning we have seen that McClellan refused to act 
according to the President's directions. Now, even with all 
his charity and forbearance, the President could not excuse 
the failure which seemed to him the result of McClellan's 
own wilfulness. It was not surprising that such was the 
case : still, as long as he continued to command an army, 
it was most unfortunate. So, when McClellan urged the 
President to leave the Army of the Potomac at Harrison's 
Landing, as the best point for threatening or attacking Rich- 
mond, those in authority at Washington turned a deaf ear. 

Had his advice been taken, McClellan would doubtless 
have been displaced by some more energetic general. But 
rather than formally to deprive him of his command, or else 
because his army was so devotedly fond of him, — it so 
seemed, — the Army of the Potomac was ordered off the 
Peninsula. That McClellan might receive necessary aid in 
transferring his troops, he was given the command of the 



272 Yoimg Folks' Histovu of the Civil War. ases. 

war-fleet in the James River and Chesapeake Bay. General 
Burnside had just returned from his successful expedition to 
North Carolina. He was immediately ordered to Aquia 
Creek, on the Potomac, whither the Army of the Potomac 
was also bound. The President now called for three hun- 
dred thousand more troops, which must be raised by draft 
if not otherwise obtained. 

General Lee's spies kept him well informed of the move- 
ments of the Nationals, and nothing could have suited him 
better than the present position of affairs. Upon hearing 
of Pope's advance toward Gordonsville, where the Con- 
federates were encamped, Lee sent "Stonewall" Jackson 
forward to meet him. Gordonsville, a town of some impor- 
tance on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, lies on the 
south bank of the Rapid Anna River, or, as it is usually 
called, the Rapidan. Pope was coming from the North, 
and arrived on the 9th of August, at Cedar Run, near Cul- 
peper Court-House, to find the enemy already there. 
Sigel's corps was delayed for twenty-four hours, and Pope 
did not wish to begin a battle until he had all his pieces on 
the board, as we say in a game of chess. Still the first move 
would be an advantage ; and as he feared that Jackson would 
attack, if he did not at least threaten, he ordered Banks's 
corps to the front. In case the enemy should advance. 
Banks was to attack him first. Banks obeyed, to the letter. 
Jackson did approach, and Banks made the attack with 
his whole strength, whicli appeared to be a surprise to the 
enemy. At first the Nationals were very fortunate, and drove 
the rebels back in disorder; but by and by Early rallied 
them again, and turned the tide of batde. The Nationals 
fell back, charged, pursued, then fell back again, and it 
became clear that the day was lost. Some one describes this 
battle as one where the " tenacious obstinacy of the Ameri- 
can character was well shown." After terrible bloodshed, 




MILITARY BALLOONING. 



i86e.] A New Commander. 275 

the Nationals were defeated at the battle of Cedar Mountain j 
but no advantage had been gained on either side. Jackson 
retreated to the Rapidan ; and Pope hastened after him, 
re-enforced by two divisions from Burnside, who had come 
across from x'\quia Creek. All this happened before the first 
regiment of McClellan's army had left Harrison's Landing, 
so promptly had General Pope obeyed his instructions to 
turn the enemy's attention from McClellan. Lee now deter- 
mined to let McClellan alone, and throw his whole force 
upon Pope. To do this, he ordered Longstreet's corps 
and Stuart's cavalry to unite with Jackson at the Rapidan. 
General Lee now took command of the Confederate army 
in person. Halleck directed Pope to wait for re-enforce- 
ments on the Rappahannock River, which would be the line 
of McClellan's advance from Aquia Creek. A glance at 
the map will be necessary for a clear understanding of the 
movements which followed. All this time Lee was trying 
to cross the Rappahannock ; but the steep banks on the 
northern side, where the Unionists were, gave them great 
advantage. At length Lee marched a long distance up the 
river, constantly threatened by Sigel, who kept up with him 
on the other bank, until they reached Sulphur Springs. Here, 
in spite of every thing, the Confederates began to cross. 

While this was going on, "Jeb" Stuart's calvary dashed 
into General Pope's camp at Catlett's Station. He carried 
off papers, despatch-book, private baggage, and prisoners. 
Lee had been unable to surprise Pope as he intended : so 
he decided upon another course. Stuart's daring raid into 
Pope's camp now proved of the greatest use. From that 
general's despatch-book, Lee found out his plans, and 
determined to upset them. His trusty general, "Stonewall" 
Jackson, was sent as secretly as possible to throw his com- 
mand between Washington and the National army. To do 
this, Jackson began his march up the Rappaliannock on the 



276 Young Folks' History ef the Civil War. [1862. 

morning of the 25th of August. The Confederates passed 
through the valley between the Blue Ridge and Bull Run 
Mountains, coming out through Thoroughfare Gap. Very 
cautiously they made their way, fearing that the pass would 
be defended. As the long column moved past General 
Jackson, he watched it proudly, saying, " Don't shoot, 
boys ! the Yankees will hear us." And then he added, 
"Who could fail to win victory with such men?" The 
danger of being found out was over, and Pope was com- 
pletely flanked. Jackson's march with an army of twenty- 
five thousand men had been made in two days and one 
night. Stuart's cavalry easily captured Manassas Junction 
with the only large quantity of supplies for Pope's army 
between it and Washington, The moment the news reached 
him. Pope ordered a general advance upon Manassas ; but 
Jackson had gone to Centreville. This movement deceived 
Pope, who, supposing that he wished to get away through 
Thoroughfare Gap, ordered McDowell, who was then at 
Gainesville, to go in immediate pursuit. In reality, the wary 
Jackson was falling back to the old batde-field of Bull Run. 
Not only did he choose to fight on familiar ground ; but there 
Longstreet and Lee could easily join him, as they should 
come through Thoroughfare Gap, 

McDowell's advance was attacked late in the afternoon 
of Thursday, the 28th. Although the battle was stubbornly 
fought and the loss was severe, General Jackson gained 
but little advantage. In this engagement. General Ewell was 
seriously wounded. Pope fell upon the Confederates with 
characteristic energy the next morning. But so sure was 
Jackson, that Lee and Longstreet were nearer than Pope 
dreamed, that he only fought a defensive battle at first. 
Just before noon on the 29th, his wished-for rebel re-enforce- 
ments came upon the field. Pope was not so fortunate. 
Of the promised troops already sent from the Army of the 



i862.] A New Conwiander, 277 

Potomac, Porter's fine corps had taken no part in the action, 
in the face of repeated orders to advance and engage the 
enemy. McClellan's habit of "putting off" had kept back 
re-enforcements, notwithstanding the President's urgent tele- 
grams to the contrary. It was only when positively com- 
manded to move, that Franklin's corps was put in motion, 
and only then in time to cover the retreat. Pope's com- 
munications with Washington and his supplies were cut off, 
and he had mistaken the enemy's design. He was thus 
caught in a trap. 

The battle was continued all day Friday, the 29th, grow- 
ing hotter and hotter as evening approached. The forces 
were engaged until nine o'clock. This battle near Grove- 
ton was claimed by Pope as a victory, but he had only held 
his ground. That night he sent a very sharp message to 
Porter, ordering him to appear on the field at daybreak the 
next morning. Pope was very much annoyed and distressed 
to receive word from McClellan, that, " as soon as he should 
send a cavalry escort for the train," provisions should be 
sent for his army. Pope had not a man to spare, and there 
were forty thousand tired, hungry men to feed. 

General Jackson describes the battle of Saturday, the 30th, 
as "a fierce and bloody struggle." Although all was done 
that was possible, under the disadvantages under which the 
Union army suffered, this day also ended in defeat. In 
the history of the war, no fiercer contest took place than at 
the second battle of Bull Run, which, like the first on the 
same ground, was gained by the Confederates. And even 
the lapse of more than twenty years has not hushed the 
strife which there began. General Pope charged his loss 
and defeat to the slowness of McClellan to support him, 
and to the disobedience of Fitz-John Porter. Pope com- 
plained, that, although Porter was ordered to hasten forward 
with his command before an\' fighting occurred, he never 
came at al]. 



278 Yon7tg Folks History of the Civil War. 1 1862. 

So serious a matter required looking into ; and, after a trial 
by court-martial, General Porter was dismissed from the ser- 
vice of the United States. His friends, however, thought 
him badly treated ; and, years after, the case was carefully 
reviewed by a military board, who acquitted him of blame. 
Still later, General Porter applied to be restored to his old 
position in the army. The whole ground was again gone 
over; every incident of that fearful battle was brought to 
light : yet the best men in the nation, military and civil, 
were unable to agree upon the case. 

After the battle, the retreat was orderly and deliberate, by 
no means the rout which it was a year before. For Lee, it 
was a grand victory, worthy of his genius and of the stanch 
soldiers who composed his army. The Union Brigadier- 
Generals, Hatch, Schenck, and Tower were wounded ; and 
Colonel Baylor, the Confederate commander of the " Stone- 
wall Brigade," was killed. In the battle of Bull Run, a Union 
officer was injured by the fall of his horse, which was shot 
under him. He was limping off the field when he saw a 
body of men going in the same direction. Supposing them 
to be running away from duty, he tried to rally them and 
even threatened violence, if they did not return. "Who are 
you, sir?" at last cried one of the number. "Major of the 
Seventy-sixth," returned the officer. "Seventy-sixth what?" 
— "Seventy-sixth New-York." — "Well, sir," answered the 
rebel, " you are my prisoner, for you are trying to rally the 
Second Mississippi." 

The loss on both sides was very great. The retreat brought 
the Army of Virginia to Centreville during Saturday night. 
Pope, who was not easily discouraged, bore his misfortunes 
bravely. Not so the North. He was severely criticised for 
his failure. When he took command of the army, he had 
made an unfortunate address to his troops, saying, " I have 
come to you from tlie West, where we always see the backs 





\ "■':■::- ■^^:\. 



1862.1 A New Coimnander. 281 

of our enemies. Glory and success are in the advance : 
disaster and shame lurk in the rear." He said a good deal 
more in tlie same strain, which called forth much ill feeling 
then, and afterwards. 

Naturally supposing that the Federals would withdraw to 
Washington, General Jackson undertook a flank movement. 
Hastily marching around them to the eastward, he took a 
position near the town of Chantilly, where he made a sharp 
attack upon them. A cold rain was heavily falling, and the 
night of Aug. 31 was drawing on. The brunt of the battle 
fell upon Generals Reno and Kearney. Kearney himself 
had planted a battery in position, and was cheering his men 
on, when he was shot, at the head of his troops. General 
Isaac J. Stevens was also killed. The Confederates were 
driven back, leaving the field to the Nationals. General 
Lee, who knew Kearney well, sent his body with a flag of 
truce to Pope's headquarters. General Philip Kearney was a 
native of New- York City, where he was admitted to the bar 
at a very early age. He afterwards entered the army, and 
went to France to perfect himself in military science. In 
Algeria he received the Cross of the Legion of Honor for 
bravery. Returning to this country, he served in the Mexican 
war, where he lost his left arm. He went to Europe again, 
and again received the Cross of the Legion of Honor, from 
Napoleon Third. He returned, to enter the civil war ; and, 
as we already know, he behaved with gallantry in the " seven- 
days' battles " on the Peninsula. Notwithstanding that botli 
he and General Howard were in the second battle of Bull 
Run, they never met after parting at Fair Oaks. " 

The Army of Virginia was immediately recalled to Wash- 
ington, which was, no doubt, a welcome order. On Saturday, 
the 30th of August, when the news of the battle of Manassas 
reached Washington, a call was issued to the citizens from 
the War Department, asking them to go out to the battle- 



282 Young Folks' History df tJie Civil War. I1862. 

field, and assist in the care of the wounded. At least a 
thousand persons went, loaded with lint, bandages, and 
blankets. More would have gone, but the invitation was 
recalled. Owing to the presence of the enemy in that neigh- 
borhood it was thought unsafe, as some who did go were 
made prisoners by the Confederates. In Boston a despatch 
was received, making the request for twenty surgeons and 
for hospital supplies. Early in the morning of Sunday the 
31st, it was published that these contributions would be 
received at Tremont Temple ; and clergymen gave the same 
notice from their pulpits. Old sheets, under-clothing, pillows, 
liquors, jellies, delicacies of all kinds, any thing which could 
be welcome to the sick soldier, arrived in enormous quanti- 
ties, from morning to night. Twenty-one hundred cases 
were packed and ready to be sent by the niglit train. Sub- 
scriptions amounting to five thousand dollars were also taken 
on the streets. And this was but a sample of the spirit 
throughout the entire country. With the battle of Chantilly, 
Pope's career ended in Virginia. He asked to be relieved 
of his command, and was assigned to the Department of the 
North-West, on the 8th of September. 

At the urgent entreaty of his friends. McClellan was again 
placed in command of all the armies of Virginia, under the 
old name of the Army of the Potomac. Tlie soldiers re- 
ceived him with shouts of joy. McClellan's wonderful skill 
in gathering, organizing, and training an army, is admitted 
by every one. With all his might he began to get this vast 
body of men ready to be again set in motion, 

\)n the I St of July the President had called for three 
nundred thousand men, to serve till the war was over. In 
June he had asked for forty thousand, for a term of three 
months. Now, on the 9th of August, he again appealed to 
the people for three hundred thousand more, to serve for 
nine months. At the end of that time a draft was to be 



i862.] A New Commander. 285 

ordered, unless three hundred thousand men volunteered 
to take the places of those whose time should then expire. 
The call was promptly answered, as Abraham of old answered 
the call of the angel of the Lord, " Here am I." But Gen- 
eral Lee thought that it would be safer not to wait for these 
fresh troops to be equipped, and sent to the field : so he 
began operations at once. 

In the fourteen months since the fall of Sumter, the whole 
nation, from Maine to Florida, had burst forth into singing' 
war-songs. The war was the one idea filling the public 
mind. No doubt these songs encouraged patriotism, stimu- 
lated the men in the field, and helped their friends at home 
to bear their absence. One of the prettiest of them was a 
rebel song called " My Maryland." General Lee, beheving 
this song to be the voice of the people, expected Maryland to 

— "Burst the tyrant's chain," 

and flock to the rebel standard, if it were only once borne 
into that State. He had many good reasons for invading 
Maryland ; and, now that the Union army was out of the 
way at Alexandria, what was there to hinder him? The 
Confederate soldiers were ragged, and many were barefoot ; 
but would they not be better able to go without shoes and 
clothing now than in winter? So reasoning, Lee pushed 
forward. He followed up the south bank of the Potomac to 
Leesburg, where he crossed, and marched straight to Fred- 
erick. He issued a stirring address to the people, in which 
he said he had come to right their wrongs, and aid them in 
''throwing off this foreign yoke." But he was disappointed. 
Frederick was a peculiarly loyal city ; and General Jackson, 
who led the advance, found many a National flag flying in 
the town. The sight of such odious bunting vexed his right- 
eous soul, and he ordered all the flags to be removed. Near 
a bridge which spans the river lived an aged woman, whose 



286 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

name has become historical. From a httle dormer-window 
in her house floated the Stars and Stripes on that memorable 
day. The flag was hauled down, with all the rest ; but that 
loyal old woman, infirm though she was, flung its folds to 
the breeze again. As Jackson's troops passed her door, 
they saw it, and halted. Somebody gave the order to fire, 
and in an instant the torn banner dangled ft-om the broken 
staff". Bed-ridden as had been Barbara Freitchie for years, 
she snatched the flag, and — 

" She leaned far out on the window-sill, 
And shook it forth with a royal will. 

' Shoot, if you must, this old gray head, 
But spare your country's flag ! ' she said. 

A shade of sadness, a blush of shame, 
Over the face of the leader came. 

The noble nature within him stirred 
To life at that woman's deed and word. 

* Who touches a hair of that gray head 
Dies like a dog! March on ! ' he said. 

All day long, through Frederick street 
Sounded the tread of marching feet. 

All day long, that free flag tost 
Over the heads of the rebel host." 

The truth of this story is questioned nowadays, but there 
must have been a reasonable foundation for the poet Whittier 
to build his ballad upon. Some of the loyal citizens of 
Frederick do not deny it, and others affirm it. At any rate, 
it is no more improbable than many a feat of valor with 
which heroes are credited. 

Stonewall Jackson's advance-guard reached Frederick on 
the 6th of September. The next day, being Sunday, Gen- 




BAKBAR* ^■REITCHIE. 



i862.j A New Commander, 289 

eral Jackson attended church, where the fearless pastor, the 
Rev. Dr. Zacharias, prayed in a firm voice for the President 
of the United States. 

Notwithstanding the appearance of Jackson with his "army 
of liberation," brave, ragged, and dirty, he received not a 
single recruit. A few women did, indeed, gather secretly to 
make clothing for the army; but that was all, unless we 
except a presentation to General Jackson of a magnificent 
horse, which threw him the first time he mounted him. 

Leaving General Banks in charge of the defence of the 
Capital, General McClellan took the field in person on 
the 7th of September, and moved in pursuit of the rebels. 
Although he knew that it was "quite probable" that Lee 
was in Frederick on the loth, he only arrived there on the 
evening of the 12th, two days after the rebels had gone. 
In General Hill's headquarters at Frederick, McClellan had 
the rare good luck to find a copy of Lee's orders to his 
army. Up to this time, it was impossible to guess what 
Lee's plans were. He might intend to get McClellan out 
to follow him, and then, when the Capital was unprotected, 
he could, by a flank movement, throw himself upon it. Of 
course, this was to be guarded against, and might perhaps 
excuse McClellan's lack of haste. But, now that the order 
was found which showed just what Lee was going to do, 
ihere was no apology for halfway work. 

General Lee's army was to be divided. Jackson was to 
press forward rapidly through the South Mountains, along 
the north bank of the Potomac, past Sharpsburg and Har- 
per's Ferry, and, crossing the river at the most convenient 
point, he was to seize Martinsburg, and afterward Harper's 
Ferry. The Confederate General Walker, in the mean time, 
was to cross the Potomac, east of Harper's Ferry, and to 
occupy Loudon Heights, on the other side of the Shenan- 
doah. But theie was still another place " hard by," which 



290 Yowig Folks' Hisiory of the Civil War. [1862. 

Lee coveted as much as King Ahab coveted the vineyard of 
Naboth. This was the stronghold of Maryland Heights, on 
the north bank of the Potomac. Its guns commanded the 
post of Harper's Ferry. It was indeed the key to the 
valley. The well-laid scheme of its sudden capture was 
intrusted to General McLaws. 

Before we go farther, we will examine the situation by the 
aid of the map. To the north of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 
and running in the same direction, lies a range of hills which 
is known as the South Mountains. At Harper's Ferry it is 
cut in two by the Potomac ; and a spur on the northern 
bank, which rises above all the surrounding hills, is called 
Maryland Heights, which nearly a month before, General 
Wool had directed Colonel Miles to fortify ; but no attempt 
to carry out that order had ever been made. Of course, 
General Lee knew this, and that it would, fall an easy prey 
whenever the time came to capture it. 

While this was going on, Lee himself was to conduct the 
main body of the Confederates through the passes or gaps 
of the South Mountain, into Pleasant Valley, which lies 
between that range and the Potomac. Here Jackson and 
McLaws were to join Lee for further operations. 

Well, now that the rebel programme was in McClellan's 
hands, it only remained for him to change it to suit his own 
taste ; but we shall see what was done. Jackson carried 
out his orders to the letter, as he always did. He left Fred- 
ericksburg on the loth^ and, crossing the Potomac the next 
day, he hurried toward Martinsburg. General Julius White, 
with his command, left that post immediately upon his ap- 
proach, retiring to Bolivar Heights, above Harper's Ferry, 
and leaving Jackson in undisputed possession of Martins- 
burg. General McLaws also performed his part promptly ; 
and on the 13th he had installed himself with his troops at 
Maryland Heights, after a very slight resistance on the part 




CUTTING OFF JACKSON. 



i86£.! A New Conunaiider. 293 

of Colonel Thomas H. Ford. x\s Loudon Heights was 
seized on the same day, the fall of Harper's Ferry was not 
far off. Colonel D. S. Miles, who, you remember, won small 
praise at the first battle of Bull Run, was commandant of 
the post of Harper's Ferry. On the 15th, early in the 
morning, the batteries from all the surrounding heights 
opened fire upon it. 

The National batteries answered till all their ammunition 
for long-range guns was gone, when Miles ordered the white 
flag to be raised. Captain Phillips of the Hundred and 
Twenty-sixth New-York entreated Colonel Miles not to 
surrender ; but he replied, " They will blow us out of this in 
half an hour." Still Phillips urged, that, even with a great 
loss of men, the place and its stores could be saved till relief 
should come. At last Miles exclaimed impatiently, " Do 
you know who I am?" — "I do," answered Phillips, with 
a deep meaning in his voice. "You are Colonel Miles." 
At that moment, a piece of a shell struck Miles in the leg, 
tearing the flesh cruelly. At length the white flag was seen 
by the enemy, and the firing ceased. By nine o'clock in the 
morning. Harper's Ferry had been surrendered. When it 
was made known, the men showed great dissatisfaction. 
One sturdy captain burst into tears as he exclaimed, " Boys, 
we have no country now ! " A few hours after. Colonel 
Miles died in the hospital, in great agony. General Julius 
White, who succeeded him in command, arranged with Gen- 
eral k, P. Hill the terms of surrender, while, says Swinton, 
" the swift-footed Jackson turned his back on the prize he 
had secured, and headed toward Maryland, to unite with 
Lee, who was eagerly awaiting his arrival at Sharpsburg." 
When the proper time came. Colonel Ford was cashiered 
for his shameful abandonment of Maryland Heights. The 
rebel spoils were twelve thousand men, as many small-arms, 
a quantity of stores, and seventy-three pieces of artillery. 



294 Young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1862. 



CHAPTER XX. 

BROKEN CHAINS. 

SO far, General Lee's plans had worked well. While 
Jackson and his fellow-generals were doing their part, 
the main rebel army was pressing through the passes of the 
South Mountain, toward Boonesboro'. The Nationals, in two 
columns, followed closely. The left wing, under Franklin, 
took the road through Crampton's Gap. The right and 
centre, under Burnside, marched toward Turner's Gap, six 
miles to the north. Lee had already reached the summit of 
the passes, intending to leave them unguarded, and hasten 
on. When, however, he found that McClellan's advance 
column was so near, there was nothing left but to defend 
the gaps, so that Jackson might profit by the delay. The 
Federal left was pushed forward quickly in order to afford 
rehef to Harper's Ferry, then in a state of siege. PYanklin's 
force, being much larger than that of the Confederates, after 
three hours of hard fighting, gained the crest of Crampton's 
Gap, reaching Pleasant Valley on the western side the same 
night. The loss was about five hundred on each side, but 
Franklin took four hundred prisoners. 

This was Sunday, the 14th of September. The same day 
McClellan advanced upon Turner's Gap. Burnside led the 
way. The road through Turner's Gap was very difficult and 
steep. As the rebels were already posted above them, the 
Nationals had to fight up hill, which was greatly to their 
disadvantage. But they steadily crowded their way up. 



i862.] Broken Chains. 295 

Every inch of the way was taken, not yielded. Near the 
top, a savage encounter took place between the Twenty-third 
South-Carolina and the Twenty-third Ohio regiments. This 
latter regiment was a part of General Cox's Kanawha divis- 
ion, known as the '' Psalm-singers of the Western Reserve.'" 
It was a trial of matched strength and courage. When, at last, 
they were overpowered, the Carolinians were so desperate, 
that not a man surrendered until he had made his gun worth- 
less by beating it against a tree or rock. But the Unionists 
carried and held the crest, which was the key to the pass ; 
and at nightfall the Confederates retreated to Sharpsburg. 
Still, Lee was well satisfied with his day's work. Although 
his loss had been heavy, it had delayed the " Yankee army 
until Harper's Ferry could not be relieved." 

On the Union side. General Jesse L. Reno had been killed. 
As he received his death-wound, he said, " Boys, I can 
be no longer with you in body, but I can be with you in 
spirit." The Confederate General Garland was also killed. 
About fifteen hundred Confederate prisoners were taken. 

The night after the battle of South Mountain, Lee retreated 
to the west bank of Antietam Creek, in front of Sharpsburg. 
His position was excellent. The x^ntietam is crossed by 
four stone bridges, three of which were well guarded ; and 
the fords were all difficult. Behind him was a low range of 
hills, sloping down to the Potomac. McClellan's advance 
arrived on the east bank opposite, on Monday, the 15th, 
and took position behind the hills at Keedysville. " On the 
afternoon of that hot 15th of September," says General 
Palfrey, " while the long columns of the Federal army were 
resting along the Boonesboro' road, McClellan passed through 
them to the front, and had from them such a magnifi- 
cent reception as was worth living for. . . . The weary men 
sprang to their feet, and cheered and cheered, and, as he 
went, the cheers went before him and with him and after 



296 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

him, till the sound, receding with the distance, at last died 
away." 

It will give you a better idea of the immense space which 
this army covered, to know that a single corps is nearly 
twenty miles in length when it is ready to march. Let us 
count and see. Twenty-one thousand and four hundred 
infantry, marching four abreast, would take up six miles ; 
seven hundred wagons, seven miles more ; fifty ambulances 
for the sick and wounded, one mile (here are fourteen 
miles already) ; thirty cannon and thirty caissons, three- 
quarters of a mile ; and five hundred cavalry, five miles, 
making nineteen miles and three-quarters. This is not 
counting the herd of cattle that often follows an army to 
feed it. General Jackson used to say that he could beat 
any army that was followed by a herd of cattle. Well, the 
whole Union army, excepting Franklin's corps, which was on 
the way, was gathered on the Antietam. On the rebel side, 
Longstreet and Hill were alone ; but no attack was made 
that night. McClellan spent Tuesday in reconnoitring, and 
getting ready for action. In the afternoon, Hooker crossed 
the Antietam by a ford and the upper bridge, which was not 
guarded. Fighting sharply, he pushed on till dark. That 
night the two armies rested with only a patch of open ground 
and a few corn-fields between them. During the night Gen- 
eral Mansfield crossed his troops, taking position in Hooker's 
rear. At daybreak " Fighting Joe " Hooker opened the 
battle with zeal enough to sustain his reputation ; and Jack- 
son, who had arrived upon the field the day before, replied 
with equal fury. Before eight o'clock in the morning whole 
regiments had been destroyed. Others took their places. 
Dense masses of faded blue were hurled against walls of 
dingy brown and gray. Then clouds of sulphurous smoke 
closed over the scene, and hid them all from sight. One 
figure stood out in bold distinctness. Here, there, every- 



1 862.] Broken Chains. 297 

where, on his milk-white horse, General Hooker dashed into 
the thick of the fight. Bullets pattered like a summer hail- 
storm. The yells of the rebels, the shouts of the Nationals, 
and the groans of the dying, filled the air, even above the 
roar of artillery and musketry. At length, sorely pressed, 
Hooker called for Mansfield ; and with their combined 
strength they forced the enemy back. But at this crisis 
General Mansfield was killed, and Hooker was so severely 
wounded in the foot that he had to leave the field. The 
Nationals had the advantage at this moment. Bitterly sorry 
to leave a battle so nearly won, the fiery Hooker cried, " I 
would gladly have compromised with the enemy by receiv- 
ing a mortal wound at night, could I but have remained at 
the head of my troops until the sun went down." Sumner's 
corps next entered the field, and marched straight into a 
trap. So completely were his troops encircled, that he lost 
nearly two thousand men in a moment. When the bullets 
were flying around him, Sumner was obliged to send his son, 
a young captain on his staff, to a distant part of the battle- 
field. After his orders were fully given, the father embraced 
his boy, and said, " Good-by, Sammy." — "Good-by, father," 
the son replied, and rode away. When he came back in 
safety. General Sumner took his hand fondly in his own, and 
said earnestly, "How d'ye do, Sammy?" He was well 
aware that the "chances and changes" of that short time 
might have deprived him of his favorite son. 

All this had happened, before ten o'clock, on the Union 
right. On the left, Burnside was fighting for the possession 
of the second bridge from the Potomac. One effort after 
another failed to carry it by storm. A dashing charge with 
fixed bayonets, a crash of artillery, and it was done at last, 
but with the loss of five hundred men. Then Burnside's 
troops safely crossed, and pressed on toward Sharpsburg, but 
were again repulsed. In the National cemetery at Antietam 



298 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

is shown to-day a limestone rock where Lee stood to direct 
his troops. The field then swarmed with living rebels : now 
thousands of dead soldiers sleep in its peaceful enclosure. 

The battle of Antietam is especially difficult to follow. 
What with wheeling and marching, advancing and retreating, 
charging and falling back, it is enough to discourage the 
casual reader. Hooker and Burnside were really fighting 
two distinct battles. Lee was ever present on the field, 
urging and inspiring his troops ; McClellan, never. With the 
enthusiastic devotion of his army, what might not " Little 
Mac " have done, had he shown himself at the head of his 
command ! An old farmer once said that his men accom- 
plished much more work when the order was, " Come, boys," 
than if it were, " Go, boys." 

When night settled over the battle-field, there was noth- 
ing to show for the sacrifice of life, excepting a few feet of 
ground, more or less, watered by the best blood in the land. 
Nationals and Confederates lay side by side, enemies no 
/onger. There had been no lack of courage. The rebels 
gallandy attacked and defended : the Federals bravely defend- 
ed and attacked. Although claimed as a Union victory, in 
reality the fight at Antietam had been but a drawn battle. 
A field of waving corn had been the scene of the mos^ 
fearful bloodshed. Between the rows, the dead lay heaped 
upon each other. " In an open space," says Captain 
Noyes, " I saw bodies, dressed in the rebel gray, lying in 
ranks so regular, that Death the reaper must have mowed 
them down." 

A Massachusetts drummer-boy lay ill in hospital after the 
battle of Antietam. No doubt he often wished for home in 
the long hours, but he never complained. One day he was 
given some blackberry cordial, and was told that it had been 
sent by the Young Men's Christian Association of Boston. 
The boy's face brightened ; and he said, " May be, sir, my 



I862.J i5roRen Lnatns. 

mother made this : she was always good. Anyhow, 
bless you and them that sent it ! " 

The day after the battle, when a supply-train arrivec 
rations were distributed, an officer met the captain 
company, who raised a large piece of pork on his s 
saying, " Look here ! This is the allowance of pork f 
company. I shall have to eat it all, for I am the onl 
left." The loss on both sides was not less than twent 
thousand. 

Next morning before light, the boys in blue ate 
slender breakfast, and made ready for a second day of 1 
They knew that some advantage had been gained, anc 
were determined not to let Lee escape again : besides 
had been joined by fourteen thousand fresh troops. Bi 
day went by without any order to attack. Another 
dragged on, and in the morning Lee was gone. Thi 
hard. What, they asked themsehes, had been the use 
this patriotism and suffering and death ? 

For a long time the President had been turning o^ 
his mind the subject of the emancipation or freedom c 
slaves. At first he was not at all inclined to meddk 
the question ; but, as the war went on, he began t 
that it might be necessary as a means of self-defen( 
free the slaves. Of course, it really helped to prolong 
struggle to allow slaves to cultivate the plantations of 
who were fighting in the rebel army. On the other 1 
there were loyal slave-owners, who would suffer if the < 
were freed. Many other ways were proposed, one of \ 
was to pay loyal slave-owners for their negroes ; but 
ing was very practical. It was indeed a difficult que 
to settle. When his friends urged him to take the n 
into his own hands and free them all at once, Mr. 
coin's answer was, "Whatsoever shall appear to be ( 
will, I will do." And the nation waited breathlessl 



302 Yoking Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

his decision. It came at last. On the 2 2d of Septem- 
ber, 1862, the President issued a proclamation which gave 
no uncertain sound. It was a solemn warning to those 
States in rebellion, that, unless they should return to their 
allegiance to the government of the United States within 
the next hundred days, all slaves held within any such 
State, or part of a State, should be '* thenceforward and for- 
ever FREE," and that the government would stand by them 
to secure that freedom. Moreover, the slaves would be re- 
ceived, after that time, into the army or navy of the United 
States. It also secured other rights of an American citizen 
to every freedman. The Proclamation of Emancipation was 
issued two days after Lee crossed tlie Potomac into Vir- 
ginia. It was received with disfavor by many ; but upon 
the whole it met with favor, although it produced intense 
excitement. The slaves alone seemed to take it quietly, 
unable yet to comprehend the whole truth. 

The battle of Antietam was claimed as a Union victory, and 
of course McClellan was expected to follow up his advantage. 
Still he lingered, excusing his delay on the ground that the 
army was not prepared with shoes or clothing for a long 
march. The rebel army was half naked when it advanced 
into Maryland. While he was doubting and debating, "Jeb" 
Stuart's cavalry made another raid around the Army of the 
Potomac. This time it even penetrated Pennsylvania as far 
as Chambersburg, doing much damage to public and private 
property, and again escaping across the river into Virginia. 

President Lincoln visited the army while it lingered on 
the banks of the Antietam. He was thinner, and looked more 
careworn, and was more silent than usual. A few days later, 
impatient of the slow progress of McClellan, the President 
relieved him from duty, and turned his command over to 
Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside, who accepted his ap- 
pointment reluctantly, for McClellan was his warm friend. 



I862.I Broken Chains. 305 

As on a former occasion, McClellan received the news with 
calmness, and behaved with great good temper toward his 
successor. Burnside assumed the command of the Army of 
the Potomac on the loth of November. Both armies were 
moving southward at the time, toward the Rappahannock, 
and were separated only by the Blue Ridge Mountains, 
Burnside reached Fredericksburg first ; but his pontoon 
bridges did not get there for eight days. In the mean time, 
Lee had crossed the river, fortified Fredericksburg, and 
re-enforced the garrison. Sumner had begged to be allowed 
to cross by fords at once ; but this Burnside was afraid to do, 
because the Confederate strength already there was not 
known. No thought of flanking the enemy seems to have 
entered Burnside's mind. He therefore prepared to attack 
Lee in his present intrenched position. The building of 
the pontoon bridges began. Owing to sharpshooters on 
the bluff banks opposite, the work was done with the utmost 
difficulty. At last the Federal guns were turned upon the 
town, setting it on fire in many places, and for a while the 
bridge-building went on. After many failures, volunteers 
were called for, to cross in boats and drive the riflemen 
away. It was bravely done by the Seventh Michigan and 
the Nineteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts regiments. 
Among the volunteers for the forlorn hope was the Rev. 
Arthur B. Fuller, a Masachusetts chaplain, and brother of 
the celebrated Margaret Fuller. By his pure Christian char- 
acter and devotion to his work, he had won the love of every 
man in his regiment. He was killed soon after he reached 
the shore. Another volunteer in that noble little army was 
a courageous drummer-boy but twelve years old, named 
Robert Hendershott. When the Seventh Michigan was 
pushing off, he followed. " You can't go," said an oflicer. 
" I want to go," said Robert. " No, you will get shot. Out 
with you ! " was the answer. The boy waited to push the 
boat off, but he clung fast to the boat. 



3o6 Young Folks' Historx of the Civil War. [1862. 

At last the men allowed him to get in. As the boat 
touched the other side, a piece of shell struck his drum. 
Throwing the drum away, he seized a gun which some fallen 
soldier had dropped, and scrambled up the steep bank. 
Encountering a wounded rebel, Robert pointed his gun at 
him, crying, " Surrender ! " Then he proudly marched his 
prisoner to the rear. After the battle, General Burnside 
said to him, " Boy, I glory in your spunk. If you keep on 
this way a few years more, you will take my place." Robert 
fought well in more than one battle, and was known as the 
" Drummer-boy of the Rappahannock." 

That night the Union army crossed by four pontoon- 
bridges into the town of Fredericksburg. The next was 
a day to be remembered. The intrenched position of 
the Confederates on the semicircular heights surrounding 
the town, made the struggle hopeless from the first mo- 
ment. Burnside's army was divided into three corps, under 
Hooker, Franklin, and Sumner. Franklin opened the battle 
on the left, General George C. Meade leading the attack 
on Jackson's right. More troops were pressed into the ser- 
vice, till the whole of Franklin's command seemed to be en- 
gaged. Longstreet was securely posted on Marye's Hill, 
back of the town, at the foot of which ran a stone wall. 
Here the battle was most appalling. Hancock and French, 
of Sumner's corps, made the attack, supported by Howard. 
It was gallantly done ; but they were repulsed, leaving four 
thousand fallen comrades on the field. 

In vain Hooker now urged Burnside to withdraw his 
troops. He only answered, " That crest must be carried to- 
night." Hooker returned to a fierce assault with artillery, 
followed by Humphrey's division, four thousand strong, 
which made a bayonet-charge with the loss of seventeen 
hundred men. Six times the Federals were repulsed, and 
at length Burnside consented to retire. On the night of 



1863.J Broken Chains. 307 

Dec. 15, the Union army recrossed the Rappahannock, 
having left fifteen thousand dead or wounded men on the 
other side. 

The new year found the Army of the Potomac in win- 
ter-quarters opposite Fredericksburg. Since the first shot 
was fired at Sumter, more than one million of men, in 
army and navy, had volunteered for the Union. At this 
time scarcely half that number was serving. Many, as we 
know, had died in battle or in hospitals. Somewhere in 
rebel prisons many longed for home, while for the rest 
the time of service had expired. We .know, upon the au- 
thority of Dr. Draper, that, " if the trains of the Army of the 
Potomac alone had been put upon a single road toward 
Richmond, the head of the column would have reached that 
city before the rear was out of sight of Washington." 

The clayey soil of Virginia had softened with continuous 
rain, making a forward movement at that season difficult, 
one might say impossible, had not Napoleon called "im- 
possible the adjective of fools." One day, for a joke, the 
rebels put up a big signboard, with its face toward the Union 
encampment, bearing this inscription, ''stuck in the mud !" 
The Confederate army was filthy, ragged, and barefoot, and 
their honest leader, "Stonewall" Jackson, was scarcely one 
degree more decent in appearance. The "Johnnies," as 
they were nicknamed, used to say that they knew a "Yank" 
by his gun, which was always bright ; for theirs were alwa}'s 
rusty. 

Mr. Henry J. Raymond of the New- York "Times" paid 
a visit to the Union camp in January. One day he received 
the following alarming despatch, " Your brother's corpse is 
at Belle Plain." He hurried off to the place named, and 
found his brother alive, well, and glad to see him. The 
telegraph-operator had only misspelled the word " corps," 
making it " corpse." 



3o8 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

The first day of 1863 was one of deep interest and anxi- 
ety, both to North and South. The "one hundred days" 
had expired, and this was the birthday of freedom to the 
slaves. Believing that it would come, long and patiently 
the negroes had waited for this glad time. On the last night 
of the old year, — the last night of slavery, — all over the 
South they waited, on bended knees, for the clock to strike 
the hour of midnight ; and at the last stroke they thanked 
God for liberty. Earnestly they poured out their broken 
prayers for " Massa Linkum." So slavery passed, "as a tale 
that is told." 



i862.] 21 le Stuff that Heroes are made of. 309 



CHAPTER XXL 

THE STUFF THAT HEROES ARE MADE OF. 

A SPIDER weaves his web to catch his prey : so the 
two armies, Union and Confederate, were trying to 
entangle each other in the meshes of their military fly-traps. 
With what success their efforts were crowned, we shall see. 

While General Grant was fighting the battle of Shiloh, 
General O. M. Mitchel, who commanded a division under 
Buell, was taking possession of Huntsville, Alabama. By 
skilful management the town was captured without the loss 
of a single life. 

Huntsville is on the Memphis and Charleston Railway, 
to the west of Chattanooga. General Mitchel pushed on 
from Shelbyville till within eight miles of the coveted 
town. Here he bivouacked. His tired soldiers slept 
soundly while their leader watched. Soon after the moon 
went down, the sleepers were wakened and the march 
began. A force of artillery and cavalry led the way, fol- 
lowed by Turchin's brigade. A company of workmen, 
well guarded and supplied with the necessary tools, were 
sent to tear up the railway at either end of Huntsville. They 
all moved very quietly as they neared the slumbering town ; 
and the last order given was, " Now, boys, perfect silence 1 
Straight forward, and let not the enemy know that you are 
coming by any sound whatever." It must have been very 
startling in those times to be wakened by the tramp of horses* 
feet in the quiet streets. And it would be hard to imagme 



3IO Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

more terrified people than were the inhabitants of Hunts- 
ville when they found out that the dreaded and detested 
Yankees had taken forcible possession of town, telegraph, 
and railway. "Seventeen locomotives and more than one 
hundred passenger-cars " were taken, besides prisoners and 
all kinds of supplies. This movement secured the posses- 
sion of the Memphis and Charleston Railway as far west- 
ward as Tuscumbia. 

General Mitchel received the rank of Major-General of 
Volunteers for his brilliant exploit. He entered the mili- 
tary academy, at West Point, a poor boy, where he was a 
classmate of General Robert E. Lee. He was graduated 
with honor, and at the outbreak of the Rebellion he had 
become a famous astronomer. Some of you may already be 
acquainted with text-books upon that science which came 
from his pen. General Mitchel re-entered the army in the 
summer of 186 1. 

As will be seen by a glance at the map, it became necessary 
to cut the railway between Chattanooga and Atlanta, Georgia, 
to prevent re-enforcements and supplies from being sent to 
Chattanooga. To accomplish this difficult task, a secret 
expedition was sent out. Disguised as Confederates, twenty- 
two " picked men," led by J . J. Andrews, started on foot for 
Georgia. Of course they had to go through the Confederate 
lines, and over very rough mountain roads, braving dangers 
seen and unseen. Nor did they go in company, which would 
have excited curiosity, and led to detection, but in squads 
of three or four. On the 7 th of April they were all together 
at Chattanooga, and the same night they slept at Marietta. 

On that day Mitchel had captured Huntsville. The next 
day, while the engineer and conductor of the northward- 
bound train were breakfasting at Big Shanty, eight miles 
north of Marietta, the band of raiders quietly uncoupled the 
engine and three baggage-cars ; and away they went, '" over 



i862.] The Stuff that Heroes are made of. 313 

hill and down dale," toward Chattanooga. Nobody tried to 
stop them. They gave station-keepers to understand that 
it was a powder-train. 

As often as they dared to stop long enough, they cut the 
telegraph, and tore up the track behind them. They had 
already passed several trains ; and at last Andrews said, "Only 
one more train to pass, boys, and then we will put our engine 
to full speed, burn the bridges after us, and dash through 
Chattanooga, and on to Mitchel in Huntsville." They were 
just about to take up a rail when they were startled by a 
whistle behind them. They had passed the dreaded "last 
train," which had gone as far as the last break in the road 
behind them, when its engineer was told what had hap- 
pened. He instantly reversed his engine, and started back 
to catch the runaway train. '' Then occurred one of the 
most thrilling races on record. Both engines were put to 
full speed. Away they went, to the amazement of the inhab- 
itants, who had no conception of the urgency of the errand 
of both." 

The raiders lost much time in cutting wires, although they 
delayed their pursuers by breaking up one of the baggage- 
cars, and dropping the pieces on the track, kl last fuel 
failed. It was not long, therefore, before they were over- 
taken, near Chattanooga. Then they all jumped from the 
train, and hid in the thicket. 

They were, however, hunted down by men and blood- 
hounds, and finally caught. Twelve of them were taken 
to the jail at Knoxville, Tenn. ; and it is said that they 
were put in the iron cages in which Parson Brownlow and 
other Union men were so cruelly imprisoned. Afterwards 
eight of the number were hanged. Eight escaped, and six 
were exchanged as prisoners of war, after a year of confine- 
ment. To each of these six was afterwards given a medal 
of honor by the Secretary of War. 



314 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

It will be well worth oiir while to pause in our story long 
enough to examine the craft of all kinds afloat on western 
waters. We have already seen mortar-boats, transports, and 
gunboats of the usual pattern. But there were two new 
kinds of ironclad gunboats which began about this time to 
figure largely in river warfare. One was called a " turtle," 
on account of its striking resemblance to the animal of that 
name. There were seven of these, built by Captain James 
D. Eads. They were named for river cities, and entered 
the service of the government in December, 1861. The 
other kind was invented by Colonel Charles Ellet, jun., and 
in May four of these were added to our navy. They were 
called " rams ; " and, as the name suggests, they depended 
chiefly upon the strength of their blows to destroy an enemy. 
Volunteer soldiers and sailors manned them ; and a brother 
of the inventor, Lieutenant-Colonel A. W. EUet, commanded 
them. By this time vessels of all kinds had accumulated 
in the Federal navy, until a fine fleet dotted the rivers. 
Nor had the Confederates been less industrious. Besides the 
common gunboat and ram, they had a queer-looking, cigar- 
shaped ironclad, which could also do very efficient butting. 

Soon after the surrender of Island Number Ten, an expe- 
dition was undertaken by General Pope and Commodore 
Foote, for the capture of Fort Pillow, which is still farther 
down the river. The fleet had scarcely arrived at its desti- 
nation when Pope was ordered to Pittsburg Landing. As 
he started the same day, the attack upon Fort Pillow was 
necessarily put off. Still, Foote's flotilla lingered, now and 
then bombarding the fort ; but, owing to illness resulting 
from a wound received at Fort Donelson, Foote was 
obliged to give up his command. On the 9th of May, 
Commodore C. H. Davis succeeded him. The next day 
the rebel fleet opened the battle. Four Confederate gun- 
boats were rendered useless, then they withdrew within the 



x862.] TJie Stuff that Heroes are made of. 317 

protection of their own fort. The Unionists kept up the 
bombardment until the 4th of June. On that night the rebels 
abandoned Fort Pillow and blew up their magazines, drop- 
ping down the river to Memphis. After hoisting the Union 
flag over the deserted fort, the Nationals followed, and an- 
chored a mile and a half above. With steam up, the rebel 
gunboats were waiting on the opposite side of the river. 
Soon the Little Rebel fired the first shot, and then the fight 
became general. Ram butted against ram, and mortar-boats 
dashed their heavy shots into each other. Captain Ellet's 
flotilla bore a brilliant part in this action, in which its com- 
mander received a wound from the effect of which he died 
soon after. The engagement happened directly in front of 
the town. The roofs of houses were thronged with fright- 
ened people. Sharp as was the battle of Memphis, it only 
lasted one hour and twenty minutes, and was over before 
breakfast. The city surrendered on the morning of the 6th. 
At first the people were very fierce, and threatened the 
invaders ; but Colonel Fitch, who was left there to stand for 
the Government, was so wise in his behavior, that quiet was 
soon restored. Two regiments of Union soldiers occupied 
the town, while the Union fleet anchored in front of it. 

The capture of New Orleans had opened the Lower Mis- 
sissippi to the Federals. In May, Farragut went up the river 
as far as Vicksburg. On the way he took the towns of Baton 
Rouge and Natchez. He demanded the surrender of Vicks- 
burg, which was promptly refiised. As his force was not 
strong enough to insist upon the demand, he returned to 
New Orleans. In June, with a body of troops, he re-appeared 
before Vicksburg, and began a bombardment, having run past 
the batteries to join Davis, whose fleet lay a few miles above. 
The land-forces in Farragut's expedition were under General 
Thomas Williams. They were landed on the Louisiana shore, 
for the purpose of cutting a canal across the peninsula made 



3i8 Young Folks' History of tJie Civil War. [1862. 

by a sudden turn in the river. It was to extend from Milli- 
ken's Bend to a point south of Vicksburg, the distance of 
one mile. The men worked with a will. Every day the 
ditch grew bigger. But the river was in too great a hurry 
to help, and long before it was time, it burst through : so 
the work had to be given up, 

Farragut again returned to New Orleans, leaving General 
Williams with a small command at Baton Rouge. Not long 
after, General Breckinridge made a sharp attack ui)on the 
town, in which Williams was killed. The Confederates foiled 
to capture Baton Rouge, and retreated to Port Hudson, thirty 
miles above. The rebel ram Arkansas was on its way to take 
part in the battle, when one of its engines broke down, so 
that it did not arrive. Hearing of this, three Union gun- 
boats started the next morning to find her. As soon as they 
came in sight, the engineer of the Arkansas ran her ashore, 
and, landing his crew, set her on fire and sent her adrift. 
She exploded a few miles below. 

The Mississippi was now open from New Orleans to Cairo. 
The Federals did not take advantage of the fact, however ; 
and, as a result, the Confederates fortified every available 
point upon the river within the next few months. 

On the first of June a great army was gathered at Corinth. 
Its 7norale, as we say in speaking of the spirit of an army, 
was excellent, owing to its late successes ; for — 

"A merry heart goes all the day, 
A sad tires in a mile." 

But this fine body of men did not long remain together. 
Generals Buell and Thomas, with the Army of the Ohio, 
moved toward Chattanooga, where General Mitchel was still 
holding the Memphis and Charleston Railway. After some 
delay. General Grant was re- instated in the command of the 
Army of the Tennessee, and General Sherman was sent to 




FARRAGUT'S 



FAVORITE PLACE 



ENGAGEMENT, 



i862.] The Stuff that Heroes are made of. 321 

occupy Memphis. General Pope, at the head of the Army 
of the Mississippi, started in pursuit of Beauregard, following 
him as far as Rienzi on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. But 
these two commanders were not likely to meet, as Beauregard 
was superseded by Bragg, and Pope was called to the East. 
The Army of the Mississippi was then given to Rosecrans. 
Such was the situation of affairs at the West, when, in July, 
General Halleck took leave of his army to occupy a place 
of far greater responsibility and importance. 

Bragg, who had in the mean time continued his retreat, 
was in the vicinity of Tupelo, eighty miles south of Corinth. 
Between him and Rosecrans at Booneville, on the Mobile 
and Ohio Railway, the latter had placed a small body of men 
under the command of Colonel Philip H. Sheridan. It was 
here that this young officer won his " golden spurs." Intent 
upon doing his whole duty, he determined not only to watch 
the enemy's movements, and report them as he was instructed, 
but to keep him inside his own picket-lines, and outside the 
Union picket-lines. With the aid of a trusty scout or guide, 
Sheridan had made a capital " information map " of the sur- 
rounding country, and learned it by heart. A great many 
country roads centred in Booneville. Early in the morning 
of July I, Lieutenant Scranton sent Sheridan word that the 
enemy had attacked his picket-line about three miles and 
a half out from the town. He was ordered to fall back 
slowly, if necessary, until re-enforced. Although assistance 
was immediately sent, Scranton was driven back, fighting 
hard, nearly to Booneville. Sheridan sent to the main army 
for more men, taking care to let his men know that he had 
done so. He says, " I did not know whether re-enforce- 
ments would be sent or not : so I thought that I would do 
the best that I could with what I had. I was heavily pressed 
by the enemy ; and I did not know his strength, but made 
up my mind to rely upon myself." Sheridan's study of the 



322 Yoking Folks' History of the Civil VVai\ [1862. 

geography of the country now served him in good stead. 
Choosing one company of the Second Michigan, and one 
of the Second Iowa, he placed them in command of Major 
Russell A. Alger, " to perform the duty of a forlorn hope." 
He gave them his faithful scout, with full instructions, and 
sent them around to the left of the advancing enemy to attack 
him in his rear. When a certain road should be reached, 
Major Alger was to take it, and " charge right through what- 
ever they might meet," causing his men to cheer as loudly as 
if they outnumbered the enemy ten times. Major Alger was 
then to report again at Booneville. If he found the enemy 
too strong to charge through, he was to go as far as possible, 
and return by the same route. In the mean time, Colonel 
Sheridan, with the rest of his command, was to join Lieu- 
tenant Scranton at the front ; and, when he should hear the 
cheering of Alger's men, he was also to» charge the enemy. 
But in case the cheering was not heard at the end of an 
hour, which was the time given for Alger to strike the enemy, 
Sheridan would charge from the front without waiting for any 
further signal. Watches were set, and the forlorn hope set 
out. The fighting grew so sharp, that Colonel Sheridan grew 
very anxious about the major and his little band. But we 
will let Sheridan tell his own story. 

" The hour was up, but there was no cheering : so I ordered the 
charge on the enemy, which was my part of the arrangement. Just 
at that moment a locomotive and two platform-cars, loaded with bales 
of hay for the horses of my command, came down the track from the 
main army in the rear, right into Booneville, and just behind the line 
of battle. As the troops knew that I had sent back for re-enforce- 
ments to help us, I thought, if the engineer were made to blow his 
whistle, it would give them encouragement : so I galloped to him, 
and ordered it to be sounded loudly and continuously. The men 
heard it, and believed that re-enforcements had arrived; and I have 
reason to suppose that the enemy thought so too. I never heard such 
wild cheering as occurred on our part. The enemy broke and ran, 
not only on the roads, but all over the country." 



i862.] The SUiff that Heroes are made of. 323 

Major Alger did charge at the very same moment with 
Sheridan, but they were too far apart to hear each other. 
The enemy heard both, however, and imagined themselves 
surrounded by a large army : indeed, they estimated it at 
ten thousand in front, and four thousand in the rear ; while 
in fact Sheridan's entire command only numbered eight 
hundred and twenty-seven men, ninety of whom were given 
to Major Alger. And the now famous young colonel mod- 
estly closes his account of his brilliant exploit by saying, 
" The officers and men of my command were very demon- 
strative, after the battle was over, in their consideration and 
politeness to me." For this, Colonel Sheridan received the 
thanks of his commanding general, and was given rank of 
Brigadier-General of Volunteers by President Lincoln. 

While the two grand armies were eying each other at a 
distance, a guerilla warfare was being carried on under the 
leadership of Colonel John W. Morgan, the most famous of 
all the guerilla chiefs. 

He was gay, young, and handsome, a fearless horseman, 
a sure marksman, and, withal, a rank rebel. It is related of 
him that he once gave an order to one of his men, involv- 
ing the greatest danger. The man did not obey. " You 
understand my orders ?" asked the chief. '' Yes, captain ; 
but I cannot obey you," was the answer. "Then good-by," 
said Morgan, and shot him dead. Turning to his men, 
Morgan said, '^ Such be the fate of every man disobeying 
my orders in the face of an enemy." 

This band of raiders took the name of " cavalry ; " but it 
was little less than a company of robbers, who openly plun- 
dered and burned small towns, destroyed railroads and tele- 
graphs, or attacked bodies of men fewer in number than 
themselves. 

In July, Morgan entered Kentucky, where his force was 
largely increased by young secessionists who flocked to his 



324 YoiDig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862, 

standard, tempted, no doubt, by a spirit of knight-errantry 
and adventure. By a bold dash, Morgan captured the 
town of Lebanon, Ky. He tore up a portion of the 
Lexington and Louisville Railway, destroyed a fine bridge 
over the Ohio, and finally marched his band, now number- 
ing two thousand, toward Cincinnati. A cavalry force was 
hastily despatched to meet the guerillas, who fled before 
superior numbers ; but for a little while alarm and excite- 
ment ran high in that goodly town. 

In Tennessee, another band of guerillas was led by General 
N. B. Forrest. With a force even larger than that of Morgan, 
he attacked Murfreesboro', and captured the Union garrison 
there, as well as their stores. 

Bragg and Buell were now moving in the general direction 
of Chattanooga. Bragg arrived there first, and prepared to 
advance upon Louisville, the occupation of that town 
being important to either side. General Kirby E. Smith 
led the advance, attacking, and defeating the Nationals near 
Richmond, Ky. The records and valuable papers were 
removed from Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky ; and 
a million of money was hastily taken from the banks of 
Richmond, Lexington, and Frankfort, to Louisville, for safe- 
keeping. The Governor issued a call to the people to rise, 
and defend their homes and property. Two days later the 
Confederates reached Lexington, from which all National 
stores had already been removed. They moved rapidly, be- 
cause they carried little baggage, expecting to capture booty 
of all kinds on the way. On the 6th of September, there- 
fore, they occupied Frankfort, where Morgan joined them. 
The cities of Louisville and Cincinnati were now thoroughly 
alarmed. In this emergency, General Lewis Wallace offered 
to command a regiment for the defence of Cincinnati ; which 
offer was promptly accepted. One regiment was not enough 
to meet the necessity, however; and other troops eagerly 




NIGHT MARCH OF CAVALRY. 



i862.] The Stuff that Heroes are made of. i2j 

joined the popular commander. Martial law was proclaimed 
in Cincinnati and in the cities of Covington and Newport, 
opposite. All places of business were closed. No one was 
allowed to enter or leave the city without a pass. Ferry- 
boats were stopped. In a few hours forty thousand volun- 
teers had enlisted. A pontoon bridge, or bridge of boats, 
was thrown across the Ohio ; and intrenchments were built 
upon the south bank. Peaceable steamers were turned into 
gunboats, plying on the river to protect the bridge. 'AH this 
was quickly done, but not a moment too soon. Hardly 
had these preparations been completed, when the advance 
column of Confederates appeared. Perceiving the warm 
reception intended for them, they hastily fell back without 
further demonstration. 

On the same day General Kirby E. Smith occupied 
Frankfort. Bragg, with the main rebel army, was in the 
mean while hastening toward Louisville. Buell had sup- 
posed Bragg's purpose to be the capture of Nashville ; but, 
seeing his mistake, he now used all diligence to overtake 
the enemy. 

About this time a small Union garrison at Mumfordsville 
was attacked by the Confederates. Notwithstanding his 
insufficient force. Colonel T. J. Wilder, who was in command, 
refused to surrender. In the hourly expectation of re-en- 
forcements, and trusting to the pluck of his command and 
to a strong stockade, or block fence, he determined to hold 
out to the last. Six companies arrived in the mean time, 
and a sharp battle took place. The rebel bullets made a 
hundred and forty holes in the Union flag ; but still it floated, 
and the rebels were repulsed. Colonel Wilder afterward 
said in praise of his men, " If I were to give a list of those 
who did their whole duty, it would simply be a muster-roll 
of all who were there." The Confederates waited in that 
neighborhood till Bragg's army came up, when another 



328 Young Folks' Histojy of the Civil War. [1862. 

attempt was made to induce the garrison to yield, with the 
same result. At length, knowing the great strength of the 
enemy, and that nothing but the timely arrival of help could 
save them, Colonel Wilder surrendered, not, however, with- 
out requiring that he be allowed to march his men out 
with the " honors of war." 

It was now October. Bragg had reached Frankfort, where 
he and Kirby Smith played at inaugurating a "provisional" 
or temporary governor of Kentucky. Buell had not pur- 
sued and punished Bragg as it was thought that he might 
have done. When he reached Louisville, therefore, he was 
relieved, and General George H. Thomas was given his 
command. But Thomas asked to have Buell re-instated, 
not only because he was unwilling to displace his friend, but 
he modestly hesitated to take the responsibility upon him ■ 
self. Accordingly, Buell was restored once more ; and with 
largely increased numbers he turned to follow the enemy, 
who had begun to retreat. Being pressed hard, the rebels 
made a stand at Perryville. It was a desperate battle, gal- 
lantly fought on both sides. The Confederates were repulsed 
with great loss on both sides. It was here that Colonel 
Lyde of the Tenth Ohio, while leading his brigade, was 
seriously wounded. He refused to be borne from the field, 
saying, " You can do some good yet : I can do none. Let 
me die here." 

In the night which followed, Bragg took up his line of 
retreat again, leaving behind him a large number of sick 
and wounded. The Union army was now ordered to Louis- 
ville. Buell was promptly relieved ; and the Army of the 
Ohio, hereafter to be called the Army of the Cumberland,' 
was given to Rosecrans. 



i862.] Crumbs picked up. 329 



CHAPTER XXII. 

CRUMBS PICKED UP. 

WE must now go back in time to September, 1862. 
Grant had sent every man whom he could spare 
from Corinth, to assist Buell ; and the rebels knew it. He 
was sure that they would take advantage of the fact : so he 
was on the alert. While Bragg and Buell had been playing 
at hide-and-seek, the two rebel generals, Price and Van 
Dorn, had gathered a fine veteran army at Holly Springs, 
Miss. It seems to have been their plan for Price to attack 
some point not far from Corinth, and, when Grant should 
withdraw his force to meet him, Van Dorn was to rush in, 
and capture the coveted town and all that it contained. The 
first dash was made by Price upon the little town of luka, 
near Corinth, where there was a large quantity of govern- 
ment stores. Colonel R. C. Murphy, who was in charge, fled 
without resistance, leaving the supplies in the enemy's hands. 
General Rosecrans was at Corinth, and Grant sent him 
without delay to retake luka. A sharp battle was fought, 
but unluckily Price got away. Grant and Rosecrans in- 
stantly set out in pursuit ; but Price succeeded in escaping, 
and reached Van Dorn in safety. Rosecrans' army returned 
from the pursuit just in time to occupy Corinth before Van 
Dorn, who was hastening thither. Grant's headquarters were 
at Jackson, Tenn., about fifty miles north of Corinth. 

A line of fortifications had been built inside those of 
Beauregard, after Halleck entered Corinth. Inside of that, 



330 Young Folks' History, of the Civil War. [1862. 

Grant now added another. When the enemy approached, 
the Nationals went out to meet him when he was yet a great 
way off, intending to resist only strongly enough to draw him 
within the range of the Union guns. Before night, how- 
ever, they were driven back to their inner line of intrench- 
ments with a loss of two guns. Van Dorn was jubilant, and 
telegraphed to General Lee that he had won a great victory. 
The next day the enemy was very confident, though the 
Nationals showed no lack of courage. The Unionists made 
a stout resistance ; but the rebels assaulted so furiously that 
they captured a battery with all its guns, and dashed into 
the very heart of the town. They fought in the streets. It 
is even said that they fought in the yard of General Rose- 
crans' headquarters. But, after all, Van Dorn was badly 
whipped ; and, before the day was over, he had retreated, 
leaving his dead and wounded on the field. It is a comfort 
to know that the Confederate soldiers shared the same kind 
nursing with our own, whenever or wherever they fell into 
Union hands. The loss on both sides at Corinth was 
between eight and nine thousand. 

Instead of instant pursuit, which Grant expected and 
desired, Rosecrans delayed until the next morning. He then 
gave his troops urgent instructions to hasten, but it was too 
late. Van Dorn had used his utmost speed, and was well 
on his way toward Holly Springs again. 

General Rosecrans was transferred immediately to Gen- 
eral Buell's command, and, not long after, was promoted to 
Buell's place. He found the Army of the Ohio discouraged 
and broken. Its name was changed to the Army of the 
Cumberland, and it soon became " a new creature." In 
General George H, Thomas, Rosecrans had a lieutenant, or 
second in command, who was a patriot, a gentleman, and a 
soldier. Prompt and cheery himself, Rosecrans' army soon 
caught his spirit. He was beloved by every man in his 



1862.] Crumbs picked up. 331 

army, although his discipHne was very strict. Nothing was 
too unimportant to attract his notice. One day during a 
review he saw that a soldier's knapsack was strapped in 
a slovenly way. " Captain," said he, " I am sorry that you 
don't know how to strap a knapsack on a soldier's back." — 
" I did not do it, general," the captain replied. " Oh ! you 
didn't," returned Rosecrans. " Well, hereafter you had 
better do it, or see that it is done." — " But if I can't make 
them attend to these matters, general?" — "If you can't, 
sir," said Rosecrans, " you had better leave the service." 

Van Dorn was superseded by Lieutenant-General John 
C. Pemberton„ After Corinth, Grant was appointed to the 
command of the Department of the Tennessee, embracing 
Cairo, Forts Henry and Donelson, the portions of Kentucky 
and Tennessee north of the Tennessee River, and Northern 
Mississippi. 

You remember, that, soon after the fall of Bowling Green, 
Nashville was surprised and occupied by Federal troops. 
Naturally the garrison left for its defence was small, and in 
such a disloyal neighborhood it suffered much at the hands 
of raiders. In July, 1862, Forrest had captured Murfrees- 
boro' with all its valuable stores. Bragg had left Chatta- 
nooga in October, and marched toward Nashville. Rosecrans 
hastened forward to re-enforce Major-General James S. 
Negley, who had been left in command there. But Bragg 
only went as far as Murfreesboro', where he took up 
winter-quarters, believing that Rosecrans had made himself 
comfortable in the same manner at Nashville. There was a 
notable assembly of celebrities in Murfreesboro' at this 
time. It was a gay winter at the Confederate headquarters. 
Parties and balls followed each other in rapid succession. 
President Davis and the courtly General John C. Breck- 
enridge were among the distinguished guests at the mar- 
riage of General John H. Morgan, the guerilla chief, to the 



332 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

daughter of an ex-congressman, Mr. Charles Ready. The 
soldier-bishop, General Polk, performed the ceremony. The 
bridal party danced upon a carpet made of Union flags, to 
show how they despised the National banner. Although 




KEEP "OUT OF THE DRAFT." 



Bragg did not expect an attack, he was too good a soldier 
to be unprepared for one. When, therefore, he heard that 
Rosecrans was advancing, he chose his own battle-field. 

Near Murfreesboro', between it and the approaching 
army, flowed the Stone River. It was very low : still with 
its wooded banks, it was a sort of defence. The enemy 



i862.] Crumbs picked 7ip. 333 

encamped on the north side of Stone River, on the night of 
Dec. 30, while the Union army stretched itseh' in a long line 
on the opposite bank. The two armies were so near that 
each could see the other's camp-fires. Rosecrans' force did 
not exceed forty-three thousand. Bragg's army was about 
fifty-one thousand strong ; but Morgan and Forrest were off 
on their raids at this time, reducing the rebel army on the 
field to forty-six thousand six hundred. The Rebels were 
always stronger in cavalry than the Nationals. Very early 
on Wednesday morning, the 31st, both armies were astir. 
Rosecrans expected to make the attack in his own good 
time, and was therefore unprepared for a surprise. While 
some of his horses had been unhitched from the gun-car- 
riages, and led down to the water to drink, Bragg made a 
rush through the fog, with the fury of a tornado, upon the 
Union centre. Rosecrans' plan had been to swing his 
troops around upon the enemy, as a gate swings upon its 
hinges ; General A. D. McCook on the riglit, being the 
hinge which should stand firmly, and hold the gate. 

But the sudden attack had struck McCook, and broken 
the hinge, throwing the right wing into confiision. General 
Sheridan rallied his division again, however, and manfully 
withstood a second shock against three to one, only falling 
back when every gun and cartridge-box was empty. As he 
passed Rosecrans, with less than three-fourths of his division, 
in falling back, Sheridan said, " Here's all that's left of us, 
General." Defeat now seemed certain. At this stage of the 
batde every thing depended upon General Thomas, who 
held the centre. One regiment of regulars in his command 
lost five hundred and thirty men, yet never wavered. Cruft's 
brigade especially distinguished itself for bravery, but even 
it was repulsed with heavy loss. At length General W. B. 
Hazen's brigade was ordered to meet and hold the enemy. 
It was nobly done. On the spot where that band so 



334 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

valiantly stood alone, stands a monument built by Hazen's 
brigade after the battle. On one side it bears this inscrip- 
tion : " Hazen's Brigade, to the Memory of its Soldiers who 
fell at Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862. Their faces toward 
heaven ; their feet toward the foe." 

In the mean time Rosecrans got his troops into line again, 
and held the ground. At "night the rebels withdrew to wait 
for the morning. Every man had done his best. The first 
day of the new year of 1863 was quietly spent in position, 
each uncertain what the other meant to do. The doubt 
was settled on the following morning by a fire from four of 
the enemy'« batteries. The second day's battle was but 
a repetition of the first. The fighting was especially hot in 
the cedar thicket. A pretty story of this part of the battle 
is told by Mr. Champlin, which it may not be a liberty to 
repeat. " While the fight was raging in the cedar thickets, 
the birds and small animals that lived among them were 
nearly paralyzed with fright. Wild turkeys ran between the 
lines, and tried to hide among the men, and many hopped 
on the ground like toads, apparently as tame as household 
pets. Some even sought protection from the men who were 
lying down to escape the cannon-shot, nestling under their 
coats, and creeping among their legs, as if seeking a place 
of safety. Flocks of little birds, too, fluttered and circled 
about the field over the combatants in a state of bewilder- 
ment, as if not knowing which way to fly." 

The soldiers were very fond of their commander, and 
affectionately called him "Old Rosey." He was always in 
the thickest of the battle, directing and encouraging his men 
without a thought of fear. A piece of shell struck within a 
few inches of his head, instantly killing his beloved chief-of- 
staff, Garesch^ ; yet the stout-hearted soldier never flinched. 

A division had been ordered across the river, the day 
before, with the idea of getting between Bragg and Mur- 



1863.] Crumbs picked up. 335 

iVeesboro'. Now Breckenridge's whole force swept clown 
upon it, driving it across the river. Other Union troops 
pressed forward. The fighting was furious. One charge 
more, and the rebels fled, pursued almost into the town. 
During the pursuit, Cruft's brigade of Palmer's division 
suddenly found itself under the guns of an unseen battery. 
The order to lie down was given, and instantly obeyed. Still 
the shot poured over them and beyond. \Vhile they were 
lying close to the muddy ground, a shell fell between two 
men, so near to both as to stun them. One of their com- 
rades dug up a handful of soft mud, held it over the smoking 
shell, and said quietly, "Ten to one, boys, that she don't 
bust." And then he daubed the mud over the hot shell. 
The terrible bomb grew cool ; and George Hunt, private in 
Company C, First Kentucky, was a hero. 

The next day rain fell heavily. After some demonstrations 
on the Federal side, which were not returned with much 
spirit, both armies were silent. But that night, Jan. 3, Bragg 
noiselessly withdrew his troops from Murfreesboro', and 
retreated to Tullahoma, behind the Duck River. Not even 
the Union pickets knew of his retreat until the morning. 
The loss in killed and wounded on both sides amounted to 
more than eighteen thousand. Bragg had left his wounded 
behind him. It was Sunday ; and Rosecrans, who was a 
devout Roman Catholic, had high mass celebrated in his 
tent for the victory. The President, ever thoughtful, ever 
kind, sent the Army of the Cumberland and its general this 
despatch : " God bless you, and all of you ! Please tender 
to all, and accept for yourself, the nation's gratitude for your 
skill, endurance, and dauntless courage." 

Rosecrans now took up winter-quarters in Murfreesboro'. 
Several expeditions were made by detachments of the army, 
but no general movement took place until the latter part 
of June. Meantime the Confederates made an attempt to 



336 YoHug Folks' History of the Civil Wai\ [1863. 

retake Fort Donelson ; but, thanks to the skill of Colonel 
A. C. Harding and the courage of his six hundred men, 
the rebels were repulsed. A little girl near Fort Donelson 
had watched the troops passing and repassing, carrying the 
National colors. One day after a shower, she saw a rainbow 
in the sky. "Mamma," she asked, "is God a Union man?" 
— "Why do you ask?" the mother answered. "Because," 
answered the child, " I see his colors in the sky." 

In April, Van Dorn made an attack upon General Gordon 
Granger at an unfinished Union fort in Franklin, Tenn. Van 
Dorn was repulsed with considerable loss, and driven to 
Spring Hill, from which place, also, he was compelled to 
retire, a few days later. This was Van Dorn's last battle. 
He was killed in his tent soon after, by a man with whom he 
had a private quarrel. 

Early in April, Colonel A. D. Streight undertook an expe- 
dition similar to that of Colonel Grierson, of which we shall 
speak hereafter. With a force of eighteen hundred men he 
set out to go around the Confederate army, but was caught, 
and with his command was sent to Libby Prison, not, how- 
ever, till he had done much damage to rebel property. 

The last of the same month the Union General J. J. Rey- 
nolds captured McMinnville with one liundred and eighty 
Confederate prisoners and a large quantity of stores. About 
the same time, too, Morgan's cavalry was routed by General 
D. S. Stanley. 

In June, General James A. Garfield, afterward President 
of the United States, who had become General Rosecrans' 
chief-of-staff, urged, as strongly as became a subordinate 
officer, an immediate advance upon the enemy. Leaving 
the question to be settled by the commanders and their 
chief, we will return to General Curtis, whom we left hasten- 
ing toward the Mississippi after the battle of Pea Ridge. 
The rapid and difficult march to Helena, Ark., will be well 



i863.] Crumbs picked up. 337 

remembered. Curtis's army had been reduced in size in 
order to re-enforce Halleck before Corinth. Missouri was 
then pretty nearly at the mercy of the rebels. General J. M. 
Schofield, who had been commander of the militia in that 
State, got permission to call out all the State troops, and soon 
the Union force for defence was increased by ten thousand. 
Schofield's command was called the " Army of the Fron- 
tier." A series of battles and raids was kept up in Mis- 
souri from July to December; among them were those 
of Boston Mountain and Prairie Grove, in both of which 
Schofield was victorious. In September, General Curtis was 
called to the Department of Missouri. This was in 1862, 
for it is necessary to go back a little in order to keep the 
threads of our story well in hand. A noted desperado named 
Quantrell figured very largely at that time in the raids in 
Missouri and Kansas. In August, 1863, ^^^ surrounded the 
town of Lawrence, Kan., and shot all who tried to leave it. 
Houses were plundered and fired. Citizens were murdered 
in cold blood. Scarcely one family escaped. It seemed as 
if no crime were dark enough to satisfy Quantrell's cruelty. 
A traveller met a tumble-down wagon a few days after the 
attack on Lawrence, crowded with a family trying to escape. 
On one side a dirty, barefoot child was running. " Where 
do you live, my little fellow?" asked the stranger. "I don't 
live anywhere, only in a wagon," was his pathetic reply. 

Up to the spring of 1863 a draft had been unnecessary. 
Perhaps the Proclamation of Emancipation, and the propect 
of using colored troops, had helped to dampen enthusiasm. 
Perhaps so many lost battles had made the Union army 
unpopular. Whatever the reason might have been, Congress 
then ordered the draft to be made. All able-bodied men 
between the ages of eighteen and forty-five were enrolled. 
From this list, three hundred thousand must be chosen by 
lot to fill up the thinned ranks of the army. The way in 



338 Young Folks' History of tJie Civil War. [1863. 

which drafting was done was very fair and simple. All the 
names were written on separate slips of paper, and put into 
a round tin box, which was turned by a crank. It looked 
like the wheel of a squirrel's cage. A door was made in 
the wheel ; and, after the names were well mixed, it was 
opened, and a man, blindfolded, put his hand into the hole, 
and took out a name. The slip was read aloud by an offi- 
cer, and a clerk wrote it in a book. It was always done in 
the presence of witnesses, so that no one could be accused 
of cheating. Any one could be excused from serving in the 
army by the payment of three hundred dollars, or by secur- 
ing a "substitute." Among the poor or laboring classes, 
especially among the Irish, there was bitter complaint of un- 
fairness in this provision of the draft. But, after all, if they 
enjoyed the blessings of a free country, why should they not 
be willing to defend it? Really, jealousy of the negro seemed 
to be at the bottom of the trouble. In New- York City, terri- 
ble riots were the result of the draft. Colored people were 
the especial objects of cruelty. Even an orphan asylum for 
colored children was burned, and negroes were robbed and 
killed. The reign of terror lasted four days. Other cities 
suffered, but in a less degree. The whole country was 
stirred up against the draft. Only one-sixth of the required 
number really entered the army, the rest preferring to pay 
the three hundred dollars. Sometimes, when a rich man 
was drafted, much more was paid. The sum above the fixed 
amount was called " bounty." Many touching incidents are 
told, where a brother or friend took the place of another, 
with no pay but love. Such men were heroes, though they 
might never see a battle-field. 



1863.] Defeat and Victory. 341 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

DEFEAT AND VICTORY. 

WE left the x'\rmy of the Potomac mud bound at Fal- 
mouth, opposite Fredericksburg. An attempt to 
cross the Rappahannock had been made and given up. 
As the result of inactivity the whole army had grown dis- 
satisfied, and desertions became frequent. At length some 
of Burnside's best generals complained to the President 
about their chief, saying, that, with him for their leader, a 
forward movement could never be successful. No matter to 
whom the loss of the battle of Fredericksburg might belong, 
Burnside nobly took all the blame upon himself, But 
he also went to the President with his troubles. He had 
never desired his present position, and he now felt that 
he was unfairly treated. He therefore asked to have the 
discontented officers dismissed. Instead of that, however. 
Mr. Lincoln advised Burnside himself to ask to be relieved. 
After some delay, Burnside reluctantly agreed to this ar- 
rangement, and he was appointed to command the Depart- 
ment of the Ohio. Major-General J. E. Hooker succeeded 
him in the Army of the Potomac. Franklin was relieved 
from duty. Sumner, at his own request, was transferred to 
the Department of the Missouri ; but he never reached his 
new command. In the interval between his removal and 
his re-appointment he died at his own home in Syracuse, 
N.Y. Gentle, brave, and loyal, he was beloved by officers 
and men. He went into batde with boyish enthusiasm. 



342 Yo?i72g Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

Removing his false teeth, and placing them carefully in his 
pocket, raising his spectacles to his forehead, he would dash 
into the fight with his white hair streaming in the wind, 
shouting, " Steady, men, steady ! Don't be excited. When 
you have been soldiers as long as I, you will learn that this 
is nothing. Stand firm, and do your duty ! " 




FREDERICKSBURG. 



That winter the soldiers made funny little huts for them- 
selves on both sides of the river, which looked like colonies 
of mammoth ant-hills. The Nationals now numbered a hun- 
dred and thirteen thousand men fit for duty. Hooker soon 
became very popular. His discipline was excellent. In the 
re-organization of his army he made the cavalry force much 
more useful by gathering it into one corps, instead of scat- 



1863.] Defeat and Victory. 343 

tering it through different divisions. A system was adopted 
by which a man's corps and division could instantly be rec- 
ognized by the badge upon his cap. That worn by the First 
Corps was round, or disk-shaped ; that of the Second was 
a clover-leaf, or trefoil ; the Third was a diamond ; Fifth, a 
Maltese cross ; Sixth, a plain cross ; Eleventh, a new moon, 
or crescent ; and Twelfth, a star. Each corps had three 
divisions. The color of the badge of the first division of 
every corps was red ; of the second, white ; and of the 
third, blue, — patriotic colors, made to serve a patriotic 
cause. The headquarters of each division was known by a 
square flag bearing its badge. The army was divided into 
seven corps, instead of three, under the command of 
Reynolds, Couch, Sickles, Meade, Sedgwick, Howard, and 
Slocum. • 

Just before Hooker began his movement upon Lee, which 
had been so long expected, he received a visit from Mr. and 
Mrs. Lincoln, with several members of the cabinet. It was 
early in x\pril. In honor of his son Tad's tenth birthday 
the good President had promised to take him down to see 
the soldiers, of whom both father and boy were so fond. 
Business prevented Mr. Lincoln from going at that time, but 
at last the day came when they really saw their wish gratified. 
It was a great event to the army. Officers and men joyfully 
prepared to receive their guests. The First Army Corps, 
twenty-two thousand strong, stood in line for three hours 
in the broiling sun, ready to be reviewed by the President. 
At length the carriages came in sight, escorted by a body 
of cavalry. But Master Tad was not going to be cooped up 
in a carriage — not he ! With a boy about his own size for 
an orderly, wearing a cavalry uniform, both mounted upon 
ponies, the lads dashed ahead of the sober company. Tad, 
who was a great favorite with the soldiers, cried with all his 
might, " Make way, men ; make way, men ! Father's a-com- 



344 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

ing ; Father's a-coming ! " Then the guns thundered forth 
a loud welcome, and all the bands played " Hail to the 
Chief; " while all the flags dipped, to salute the presidential 
party. 

The men fell in quickly, and proudly passed in grand 
review. This was repeated every day. It was a glorious 
five-days vacation for Tad, whose little gray riding-cloak 
" flew like a flag or a banneret " from morning till night. 

A few days later and the army was astir, making ready to 
advance upon Lee. Stoneman with his fine cavalry was to 
cross the Rappahannock at some distance above Fredericks- 
burg, and, riding to the rear of the enemy, cut his communi- 
cation with Richmond ; then, while Sedgwick should cross 
a few miles below, and make a feint upon Fredericksburg, 
Hooker with his main army would cross the Rappahannock 
and the Rapidan, and surprise Lee. Rainy weather delayed 
Stoneman, so that he could not carry out his part of the pro- 
gramme ; but the main army was safely over, and in position 
at Chancellorsville, eighteen miles above Fredericksburg, be- 
fore the movement was suspected. Chancellorsville was not 
a town, but simply a large T-shaped brick house owned by a 
Virginian named Chancellor. The country about is a dense 
thicket, and is usually called the "Wilderness." General Lee 
was now between Sedgwick on the south, and Hooker on the 
north. But he had no idea of letting Sedgwick chase him 
pell-mell into Hooker's arms. To meet the emergency, Lee 
advanced toward Chancellorsville with his main army, 
including Stonewall Jackson's corps, leaving Early to hold 
the heights of Fredericksburg against Sedgwick. General 
Pleasanton captured a rebel despatch, showing that on the 
30th of April Lee was still in Fredericksburg, uncertain which 
way Hooker's attack was to come from. If, then, Hooker, 
who was already at Chancellorsville, had " made haste, and 
staid not," all might have been well. Instead of advan- 



1863.] Defeat and Victory. 345 

cing, he waited all night, and till nearly noon of the next day, 
while Lee spent every hour of that precious time in fortify- 
ing the lines which Hooker wished to occupy. On Friday, 
May I, Hooker moved out to attack Lee. The armies 
were nearly hidden from each other by the thick under- 
growth. A battle took place, in which the rebels were not 
victorious, even if they were not defeated. Hooker with- 
drew, and occupied about the same position as on the day 
before. On Saturday morning, May 2, Lee sent Stonewall 
Jackson upon one of the flank movements for which he was 
so famous. When his column was seen marching toward 
the south, it was supposed that Jackson was retreating to 
Richmond. Lee, in the mean time, opened a cannonade 
upon Hooker's front. Jackson was really making a circuit 
of fifteen miles around the Union army to strike its flank. 
A little before sunset, with wild yells, at a double-quick, 
Jackson's advance dashed upon Howard's corps on the 
Union right, with such fury that they drove even the fright- 
ened animals of the wood before them. The startled and 
surprised Union troops of the Eleventh Corps fled like deer. 
Vainly did General Howard try to restore order and rally 
his men. As they ran, others joined them, till it seemed as 
if the whole army had been put, to flight. General Berry, 
who had never failed Hooker in the hour of danger, now 
formed his division across a plank-road, and held it. 'Gen- 
eral Pleasanton ordered Major Peter Keenan, with his 
Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, to charge upon the on-coming 
column. Both general and officer knew very well that 
almost certain death lay in the execution of that order, yet, 
with a smile on his lip, the gallant, generous major said firmly, 
'' I will do it. General," and, with his little band of four 
hundred men, he charged an army of ten thousand. A 
few moments of precious time were gained, but Keenan 
never came back. Like Curtius of old, he had given his life 



34^ Young Folks' History' of the Civil War. [1863. 

to save his country. Pleasanton took advantage of this 
momentary check to get some guns to bear upon the ad- 
vancing cokmin. Just tlien a Union flag was displayed by 
a cloud of troops that swarmed within a few yards of his 
batteries; and a voice cried, "Come on, we are friends!" 
The next moment the rebels, who liad stooped to this de- 
ception, charged upon the Federals with the fury of wild 
men. It was now nine in the e\'cning, and Jackson's troops 
fell into confusion. So he halted them on the edge of a 
wood, while he himself, with a small escort, rode out to 
reconnoitre. As he returned, his own men mistook him for 
an enemy, and fired upon him, inflicting three wounds, and 
killing several of his staff. At that moment the Union guns 
opened a hot fire on the road. One of Jackson's litter 
bearers was killed, and General A. P. Hill was wounded. 
As soon as General Jackson could be borne to the rear, his 
left arm was amputated. He was then taken to a hospital, 
where he was kindly cared for. He died, however, from 
the effect of his wounds on Sunday, May 10. In his last 
moments his mind wandered; and he cried, "Order Hill to 
prepare for battle — pass the infantry to the front — tell" — 
then the scene changed, and the battle-fire died out of his 
eyes, and saying softly, " Let us cross over the river, and 
rest under the shade of the trees," he fell asleep. 

General Thomas J. Jackson was at the same time an 
undaunted soldier and a gentle Christian. From general to 
drummer-boy, his command revered and loved him. All 
bore testimony to his earnest piety. It used to be said that 
his negro-boy knew when there was going to be a battle by 
the time his master spent in prayer. " Gwine to be a fight, 
sartin," he said one morning. " Massa's been a-prayin' all 
night." It is also said that when Jackson ordered a charge, 
he alwa}'s offered up the prayer, " And God have mercy on 
their souls ! " Jackson shared his soldiers' hardships, and 



i863.] Defeat and Victory. 349 

pitied their misfortunes. Lee had lost the best general in 
the Confederate army. 

The next morning, Sunday (May 3), General J. E. B. 
Stuart, at Jackson's request, took command of his army. 
As he opened the attack upon Sickles, the men rushed to 
the charge, crying, " Remember Jackson ! " As on the day 
before, Lee assaulted on the front. Hooker was stunned 
early in the morning, by the shock of a cannon-ball against a 
pillar of the Chancellor House, upon which he was leaning. 
Vox two hours he was unconscious. Much of that time the 
Union army had to take care of itself, for in the confusion 
nobody aspmed command. It has been called " a mad and 
desperate battle." Every general did his best : still, Meade, 
Howard, and Reynolds were two miles off, taking no part in 
it, for lack of orders. While this had been going on, Sedg- 
wick had attacked and carried the enemy's works at Fred- 
ericksburg. He drove Early out, and put his own army 
between the two wings of the Confederates. He was but 
seven miles from Chancellorsville when Lee, hearing of his 
approach, promptly sent McLaws back to take care of him. 
In order to keep Hooker in the dark, Lee still kept up a 
loud firing in his front. By Monday evening Sedgwick was 
sorely pressed by superior numbers. During that night he 
escaped across the Rappahannock, by Banks's Ford, with a 
loss of one-fifth of his command. The next night, Tuesday 
(May 5), Hooker also recrossed the river, and went into his 
old quarters again. One more failure was set down to the 
account of the Army of the Potomac. Yet it was as brave 
an army as ever trod field of battle, and the seventeen 
thousand comrades left behind them were as stanch as they. 
Among the killed was General Berry. 

While the battle of Chancellorsville had been going on, 
Stoneman's cavalry had made a very telling raid in the rear 
of Lee. They did .much damage, but were too late to be 



350 Yon Jig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863 

of use. Kilpatrick went even nearer Richmond than his 
superior officer, and carried off a Confederate officer and 
several men from inside the fortifications. " Who will carry 
the news of our success to Hooker?" asked Kilpatrick, 
after a march of two hundred miles into the enemy's country. 
" I am ready to go," answered his aide, Lieutenant Estes. 
With ten men he hastened across from Gloucester Point to 
the Rappahannock. On the way they captured a rebel lieu- 
tenant and fifteen men, whom they paroled. The river was 
too high to cross, so they could not go northward. By this 
time the militia was out, so they fled to the south. They 
met, captured, and paroled a Confederate major, two captains, 
and three men, as they escaped from their pursuers. At last 
they left their horses, and took to the Great Dragon Swamp. 
Between the militia and the bloodhounds, they were caught 
at last. But in a day or two Kilpatrick freed them, and 
captured their guards. These detached expeditions were 
of no serious damage to Lee : although Stoneman's entire 
force in one body might have injured him greatly ; for 
Lee never carried more than two days' rations, and his 
supplies must come from Richmond. Indeed, the very next 
thing that Lee did has been accounted for by that fact. 
The story is told, that Lee sent to his commissary at Rich- 
mond for provisions for his army while in camp at Freder- 
icksburg. He received the reply, " If General Lee wishes 
rations, let him seek them in Pennsylvania." If the story 
be true, Lee evidently thought Mr. Davis's advice good, for 
he acted upon it promptly. 

^leanwhile Longstreet had been Inisy in trying to capture 
the Union garrison at Suffolk, Va., on the edge of the Dismal 
Swamp. But, thanks to the energy of General J. J. Peck, 
he failed in his attempt, and now rejoined Lee at Fred- 
ericksburg. 

The first week in June, Lee sent the larger portion of his 



1863.] Defeat and Victory. 35 1 

army to Culpeper Court House. On the 9th Pleasanton, 
who had superseded Stoneman, was sent to reconnoitre. 
He met Stuart at Brandy vStation, and a fierce cavalry battle 
was fought. Stuart claimed the victory ; but Pleasanton had 
done just what he most wished, — he had cri})])led Stuart, 
discovered the enemy, and found out his strength. General 
W. F. H. Lee, a son of General Robert E. Lee, was here 
wounded, and taken prisoner. 

Ewell was rapidly advancing down the Shenandoah Valley 
to the north. General Milroy, who commanded the post 
of Winchester, got the news from a captured scout ; but, 
before he could withdraw to Harper's Ferry, the garrisons 
from two weaker posts came in, who were too weary to go 
farther. Milroy would not leave them, so all must remain. 
Yet all together could not withstand Lee's army. There was 
but one day's rations, and the ammunition was nearly out. 
Ewell's advance fell upon Milroy on the 15th of June. After 
severe fighting, darkness ended the unequal struggle. That 
night, after spiking his guns, and throwing his ammunition 
into the cisterns, Milroy and his men moved silendy out ot 
\Vinchester. They were pursued, and many were captured ; 
but the greater number reached Harper's Ferry in safety. 
Lee was now master of the Shenandoah Valley. 

By this time the loyal States in the North were wide nwake 
to their danger, and they began to cry loudly for militia 
to resist a second invasion. Mr. Lincoln called for one 
hundred and twenty thousand men to meet the present 
crisis. Hooker had already started in pursuit of Lee. As 
soon as he broke camp, and was fairly out of the way, the 
rebel General Hill was at liberty to leave Fredericksburg, 
and follow him. Away they all went. Jenkins, with his rebel 
cavalry, led the way (look at it on your map), through Win- 
chester, Williamsport, Chambersburg, away up to Carlisle 
in Pennsylvania. Do you wonder that the citizens of Har- 



352 Youug Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

risburg and Philadelphia trembled ? Jenkins filled them with 
dismay. He freely helped himself to" horses, catde, any 
thing that he needed ; but he paid for it freely in worthless 
Confederate bank-notes. Such money became quite too 
plentiful in Chambersburg. On one occasion Jenkins com- 
plained of some loss which had befallen him, and de- 
manded his pay from the city. He was promptly paid with 
his Confederate money. 

Hooker, in the mean time, had advanced as far as Manas- 
sas ; but, not daring to leave Washington unprotected, he 
could go no farther until he found out what Lee was going 
to do. Such a mixed-up affair as it all was ! As soon as the 
Confederate army was withdrawn from before Richmond, 
General Dix advanced upon the rebel Capital from the direc- 
tion of Yorktown and the Chickahominy. On the 15 th of 
June the Union troops were within fifteen miles of Rich- 
mond. Its inhabitants suffered the utmost terror, and wished 
to recall Lee ; but every able-bodied citizen rallied to the 
defence of the Capital, and Dix abandoned his position. 

Lee had now penetrated so far into the north that Wash- 
ington was no longer in danger, so Hooker moved forward 
also. He crossed the Potomac, and hastened to Frederick. 
Thinking that the large garrison at Harper's Ferry was no 
longer needed there, he asked permission to add it to the 
main army. Halleck positively refused ; and Hooker, in a 
very disgusted state of mind, resigned his command. It 
was promptly accepted, and Major-General George Gordon 
Meade succeeded him. No sooner had Meade the oppor- 
tunity than he broke up the post of Harper's Ferry, and 
ordered its garrison to the main army ; but no notice was 
taken of this act. All this time Lee supposed the Union 
army to be south of the Potomac. When he discovered that 
it was so near, he turned back, to make a stand at Gettysburg. 
Meade at the same time was on his way to the same place. 



i863.] 



Defeat and V^ictory. 



353 



Gettysburg is surrounded by several lines of hills or ridges. 
Seminary Ridge begins at the south and west of the town, 
running north of a little way above it ; then, trending away 
to the north-east, it makes a circuit, coming up on the east 
side in a loop, resembling the letter " P." Cemetery Ridge 
lies south of the town, parallel with the lower end of Seminary 
Ridge, ending at the south in two hills called Round Top 




ONE YOUNG LADV WAVED HER HANDKERCHIEF AS THEY PASSED. 

and Little Round Top. The upper end of Cemetery Ridge 
nearest to Gettysburg is called Cemetery Hill. And not far 
away to the east is Culp's Hill. A great many country roads 
centre at Gettysburg, a pretty country town of three thousand 
inhabitants. The place seemed deserted as the Union troops 
came through. Not a person was visible, except one young 
lady, who waved her handkerchief from a porch as they 
passed. The men gave her three hearty cheers for the 



354 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

welcome she had given them. Nearly all the men of Gettys- 
burg had run away at the first sound of alarm ; but, when 
the time of need came, the women were, as a rule, very 
kind. John Burns, an old soldier of 181 2, was an honorable 
exception of loyalty. When the war sounds were growing 
pretty loud, his wife, seeing that he was trying to clean up 
his old gun, asked him what he was going to do. " Oh, 
I didn't know but the boys might want to go a-hunting," 
was the guarded answer. When she saw him take it down 
as the Union army was jDassing, she asked, " Where are you 
going, John?" — "Going to see what is going on," John 
replied. He found out before very long ; for he joined a 
Wisconsin regiment, and fought well until he was wounded. 

The first fighting occurred on the morning of Wednesday, 
July I. Neither army knew that the other was so near. 
Reynolds's corps was in advance ; but the main Union army 
was at Pipe-Clay Creek, about twenty-five miles south. 
Buford's cavalry was attacked by General A. P. Hill, west 
of Seminary Ridge. Reynolds heard the firing, and hurried 
forward, but was killed very soon after he arrived on the 
battle-field. Howard, as next in rank, succeeded Reynolds 
in command. He was driven back by superior numbers, 
and retreated to Cemetery Hill ; which position he after- 
ward steadily held. Lee's army then entered the town. 
That night General Hancock superseded Howard by order 
of General Meade. Late in the afternoon the assault had 
been so violent, that it decided the day for the Confeder- 
ates. Toward the close of the battle, an officer of the Sixth 
Wisconsin approached his commander with firm step and 
tightly shut lips. Making a great effort to speak, he said, 
" Tell them at home that I died like a man and a soldier." 
Then baring his breast, he showed a cruel wound and 
dropped dead. The Union army slept on their arms in 
the cemetery that night. Before morning the main army, 




THE COLOR-BEARER. 



1863.] Defeat and Victory. 357 

excepting Sedgwick's corps, arrived, and took position along 
Cemetery Hill. 

Stretched along the crest of Seminary Ridge, about a mile 
away, hidden by the trees, lay the rebel army. Skirmishing 
began in the morning; but until noon, July 2, there was not 
much system or effect in the firing. About two in the after- 
noon Sedgwick's corps came in, and was placed in reserve 
behind Little Round Top ; and at four o'clock, the entire 
Confederate line advanced, Ewell on our right. Hill in the 
centre, and Longstreet at the left. Longstreet fell upon 
Sickles, whose line was in front of the ridge of Peach 
Orchard. Although their leader lost his leg, and was carried 
off the field, Sickles's troops fought well, yielding only inch 
by inch, when overwhelmed by superior numbers, Wright's 
Georgian rebels fought desperately. They reached the very 
crest of the ridge, but, being unsupported, were forced to 
retire. As they came on, a Union battery was limbered up, 
and galloped off. '' The last gun was delayed. The can- 
noneer, with a long line of muskets pointing at him, deliber- 
ately drove off the field. The Georgians manifested their 
admiration for his bravery by crying, ' Don't shoot ! ' And 
not a musket was fired at him. Battery men clubbed their 
rammers and handspikes, and even used stones to repel the 
attack, rather than desert their beloved guns." 

All this time Hood had been trying to get Little Round 
Top, which, oddly enough, was not occupied at all. General 
Warren, one of Meade's staff, seeing the danger of letting 
such a position fall into the enemy's hands, ordered a bri- 
gade to hold it. The battle became furious. Bayonets were 
resorted to, and even stones were used in this hand-to-hand 
engagement. Four Union officers were killed in defending 
the crest of Little Round Top. At last General Crawford's 
Pennsylvania Reserves charged upon the rebels, who swarmed 
like bees around its base, with such violence, that they 



358 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

drove the enemy over a st«ne fence and beyond a wheat - 
field. Little Round Top was fortified and defended. Hood 
having been wounded, Longstreet had led the last attack in 
person. In the mean while, the enemy's left had made a 
vigorous assault upon Howard at Cemetery Hill. The 
fierce and bloody battle did not cease till ten o'clock at 
night, yet the enemy had not been repulsed. On Friday, 
July 3, very early, Lee again opened the battle. During the 
morning it continued, with heavy loss to both armies. At 
one o'clock the rebel guns along Seminary Ridge were 
trained upon Cemetery Hill. Until three the firing was kept 
up. Meade's headquarters were completely riddled. The 
graves were dug up, and the headstones broken. Still the 
Union soldiers managed to shelter themselves in hollows, 
and behind rocks and trees, so as not to suffer much harm. 
At length, supposing that he had silenced Meade's guns, Lee 
steadily advanced his troops upon the LTnion lines. They 
came on as handsomely as if they had been on dress-parade, 
and moved across the space which lay between the two 
ridges. As the long lines reached the plain, the LTnion guns 
poured a deadly fire upon them. The men only drew the 
closer to fill up the gaps. Expecting to meet green troops 
hiding behind the trenches, they came boldly within musket- 
range, when up sprang the Union veterans, and burst forth 
with such a volley, that the rebels no longer doubted that, 
the Army of the Potomac was waiting for them. Away went 
Pettigrew's Carolinians, without waiting for orders ; and 
Wilcox could not rally Hill's corps to the front. So Pickett 
was left alone with his Virginia veterans, who loved the 
smell of gunpowder. Not even wavering for an instant, they 
ploughed through the galling fire, up the side of Cemetery 
Hill, over the wall, until they were face to face with the 
LTnion army. Orders were useless. Officers and men alike 
fought desperately. The Stars and Stripes almost touched 



i863.] Defeat mid Victory, 361 

the Stars and Bars. At last Pickett alone, of all the rebel 
generals, was left. There was one final shock. Custer 
against Wade Hampton, sabre to sabre — and it was over. 
Some ran away ; some surrendered. The ground was 
heaped with the dying and the dead. General Hancock 
was wounded, and borne away on a litter. But Gettysburg 
was won for the Union. The cavalry had behaved with 
dauntless courage through all the fight; and Stannard's 
Vermont regiment, though raw troops, had fought like 
veterans. It was a heavy blow to Lee. He had gained 
nothing : he had lost much — too much ; for thirty thou- 
sand of his brave men had fallen. 

That night, after the sound of the battle had ceased, the 
bands played "The Star-Spangled Banner;" and the Union 
soldiers answered with hearty cheers as they lay upon their 
arms. The whole town of Gettysburg was turned into a 
hospital. The Sanitary and Christian Commissions provided 
every thing that could relieve the sufferings of the wounded, 
or tempt the appetite of the sick. Among the contributions, 
Canadaigua, N.Y., sent a quantity of cologne, which the sick 
desired and enjoyed more than delicacies of food. There 
was no " lack of woman's nursing," nor " dearth of woman's 
tears." Confederate and Union soldiers shared alike in the 
comforts of the hospitals. 

After the battle. Army Chaplain Eastman, of the Seventy- 
Second New-York, lay wounded on the field. He suffered 
intolerably. As he lay thinking, he heard a voice saying, 
" O my God ! " He tried to go to the poor fellow ; but his 
wound was in his knee, and he could not rise. At last 
it occurred to him that he could roll over and over to the 
place, and he did so. He reached the dying man, and 
prayed with him. At that moment a messenger came for 
him to go to a line-officer who wanted to see him. He 
could not walk, and so he was carried. And all night long 



362 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

this brave, good man was borne in the soldiers' arms over 
the battle-field, ministering to the dying. Poor General 
Barlow, with a thousand others, was left, wounded, in the 
hands of the enemy. His wife braved all kinds of dangers, 
and at last made her way to him through the Confederate 
Hues. 

All night, after the battle, Lee was getting his trains ready 
for retreat. At dawn he was under way. Think of the 
miseries of the wounded, jolting along in crowded ambu- 
lances, with nothing to eat or drink ! There was a feeling 
at the North, that, after the sacrifice of so many men, Lee 
ought to have been followed and beaten again. He was 
indeed followed, but not until he was quite out of danger of 
being caught. The Union loss had been twenty-three thou- 
sand. General Meade and the horse he rode that day were 
both wounded. The animal, "Old Ealdy," had belonged to 
General Baker, who rode him in the first battle of Bull Run. 
General Meade used him in the seven-days' battles near 
Richmond, and in the second battle of Bull Run, where the 
horse was wounded in the hind-leg. At Antietam he was 
wounded again. After that battle General Meade's groom 
found " Old Baldy " browsing about the field as if nothing 
had happened. Neither did he nor his master suffer much 
from this wound. 

A girl named Jennie Wade was killed in her own house, 
while baking bread for the Union soldiers. Twenty years 
after, her mother applied for a pension, on the ground that 
she lost her daughter at the battle of Gettysburg. Another 
woman lived very near the battle-field, and, when asked if 
she was not afraid, she answered, ''Well, no. You see, we 
was a-bakin' bread around here for soldiers, and we had our 
dough a-risin'. The neighbors, they run into their cellars ; 
but I couldn't leave my bread. I stood a-workin' till the 
third shell come through, and then I went down cellar ; but 



i863.] Defeat and Victory. 363 

I left my bread in the oven." — ''Why didn't you go be- 
fore?" — "Oh! you see if I had, the rebels'd have come 
in, and daubed the dough all over the place." 

John Burns was left wounded on the field. He wore no 
tell-tale uniform, so it was impossible to find out on which 
side he had been fighting. After asking many questions, 
which the old man managed to evade, the rebels who found 
him sent him to his home, where he was afterwards visited 
by many Northern people. 

Lee's Gettysburg campaign had been a failure. His loss 
amounted to about thirty tliousand men ; and more than 
twenty-seven thousand guns had been left behind, which he 
could illy afford to lose. He recrossed the Potomac, followed 
by Meade as far as Culpeper Court- House. Lee then 
crossed the Rapidan ; so that the two armies were in much 
the same geogra])hical position that they held when Pope 
began his Virginia campaign one year before. 



364 You?ig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

VICKSBURG. 

EARLY in November, General Grant began an advance 
movement, with a view to the capture of Vicksburg. 
Your map will show you that the opposing armies were then 
pretty near each other. Grant had seized Bolivar and 
Grand Junction, midway between Corinth and Memphis ; 
while Pemberton, who had succeeded Van Dorn, was at 
Holly Springs. As Grant advanced, however, Pemberton 
retreated. On the same day, Dec. 5, Grant moved forward 
to Oxford, and Pemberton retired behind the Tallahatchie 
River. As the Union lines were drawn between Pemberton 
and Memphis, where his supplies came from, it became a 
serious question with him how to get provisions. That such 
supplies continued to be received by the Confederates was 
well known. And how, also, it was managed came to light. 
One day Sherman and his staff were riding across the coun- 
try, when they saw an unusually good-looking wagon ; and, 
as he was always in need of wagons, Sherman ordered the 
quartermaster to look after it. The officer immediately fell^ 
behind, and after a few moments he re-appeared. "What 
luck?" asked Sherman. "All right," was the answer. "I 
have secured that, and I have got another also." When the 
quartermaster had returned to the flirmhouse to ask about 
the wagon, the farmer said that it belonged to " a party in 
Memphis," and that there was also another in the barn. 
Upon going to the barn, they found there a plumed city 




GENERAL SHERMAN. 



i862.] Vicksbttrg. 367 

hearse, containing a coffin full of medicines for Van Dorn's 
army. Funeral processions were looked upon, after that, 
with suspicion, when they attempted to pass the Union 
lines. 

Grant's plan for taking Vicksburg was now complete, and 
there seemed to be no reason why it should fail. General 
Sherman was to go down the river from Memphis, taking 
re-enforcements at Helena, Ark., under the escort of Admiral 
D. D. Porter. Sherman was to make a river attack, surpris- 
ing Vicksburg. Grant, in the mean time, was to hold Pem- 
berton in check, or follow him if he should retreat toward 
Vicksburg, where Sherman would be awaiting Grant. Gen- 
eral Halleck requested General Banks to send Admiral Far- 
ragut with a fleet to co-operate with them. But grown-up 
people, as well as boys, sometimes get the tail of their kite 
too long, and it seldom happens that naval and land forces 
are able to arrange their plans to work together with advan- 
tage. In this case a most unfortunate circumstance came 
near defeating the whole expedition. Sherman carried out 
his instructions as promptly as possible, leaving Memphis on 
the 20th of December. General Grant made Holly Springs 
his base of supplies, and Colonel Murphy was stationed 
there with sufficient force to hold it. About the middle of 
December, Van Dorn swept over the country in a fearless 
raid, capturing Murphy without the least resistance. Al- 
though, he had been warned of the coming danger, Murphy 
had taken no steps to protect his stores. But, while their 
commander was so ready to give up, his men behaved well, 
and indignantly refused to be paroled. So the rebels burned 
the storehouses, containing medicines, provisions, clothing, 
and ammunition to the amount of more than one million of 
dollars. General Grant was thus deprived of the supplies 
of all kinds, upon which he had depended for the use of his 
army. The commander of the garrison at Holly Springs 



368 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1862. 

was the same Colonel R. C. Murphy who fled from luka. 
He was immediately dismissed the service. 

At the same time Forrest's cavalry dashed through the 
same region, cutting railroads and telegraph-wires. For two 
weeks General Grant had no food for his army, excepting 
what he could pick up, while for one week he could com- 
municate neither with the North nor with Sherman. This 
misfortune was a sudden check to Grant. It forced him to 
turn back, and make the weary march to Memphis. In the 
mean time. General McClernand had obtained from the 
President the appointment of commander of the river ex- 
pedition. But Sherman was off before receiving this news. 
As the little flotilla passed Helena, it took on board General 
F. Steele's division, increasing Sherman's command to thirty- 
three thousand men. As had been arranged, Admiral 
Porter's gunboat fleet escorted the expedition. 

Vicksburg stands on the outside of an elbow which is 
made by one of the sharp turns of the Mississippi. A line 
of bluffs called the Walnut Hills rises on the east bank of 
the river, and extends a long way above and below the town. 
At Vicksburg these bluffs leave the river, turning to the 
north-east. Twelve miles farther north, where they meet the 
Yazoo, they bear the name of Haines' Bluff. Following 
the winding Mississippi from Memphis down to the mouth 
of the Yazoo, the Union fleet steamed up that river, and 
assaulted the enemy's works at Chickasaw Bluffs, at the 
north of Vicksburg. But the attempt was unsuccessful; 
and Sherman's loss was heavy, one brigade alone losing 
one-third of its whole number. Sherman withdrew, and at 
the mouth of the Yazoo River he met General McClernand 
with the news that he was to command the Mississippi 
expedition. Sherman also learned, for the first time, of 
Grant's disaster. This accounted for the re-enforcements 
which Sherman had seen pouring into Vicksburg as he lay 



i863.] 



Vicksburg. 



3^ 



encamped on the Yazoo. Now that Grant had been 
checked, of course Pemberton had been left free to bring 
his troops to the defence of the town. 

On the 4th of January, 1863, General McClernand assumed 
command, giving his troops the name of the Army of the 




A MISSISSIPPI SCHOOLHOUSE. 



Mississippi. Expected supplies for the Union army having 
failed to arrive, it was discovered that they were captured at 
the mouth of the Arkansas River. General Sherman there- 
fore proposed to McClernand to pay a visit to Arkansas Post, 
where the mischief was done. The advice was promptly 
acted upon. The army, convoyed by gunboats, moved up 
the Mississippi to the mouth of the White River, and thence, 



370 Young Folks' History of the Civil IVar. [1863. 

through a cut-off, to the Arkansas. Going up the Arkansas 
a little way, they came to Fort Hindman, or Arkansas Post 
as it is usually called, and opened fire upon it. At last, 
when the troops were preparing to take the works by assault, 
the fort surrendered. The prize for this undertaking was 
five thousand Confederate prisoners and a large quantity 
of stores and ammunition. Leaving a small force here, the 
Union army returned to Milliken's Bend, where Grant, in 
person, took command of the whole army. The troops 
were set at work at once to finish the canal begun by 
Williams in the preceding June. While this was going on. 
Grant began to cast about for some way, not yet tried, to 
reach Vicksburg from the north. Another canal was begun 
at Lake Providence, seven miles above the town. After 
weeks of hard work, it was finished, but was soon given up. 
A third canal was opened at Moon Lake, still farther north, 
and shared the same fate. 

At length Grant conceived the idea of pushing his troops 
down the west shore to a point below Vicksburg, to run his 
gunboats past the Vicksburg batteries, and, using them to 
cross the river, to reach Vicksburg from the south and rear. 
When it was known that the gunboats were to run the bat- 
teries, the whole army would have volunteered to undertake 
the dangerous task. One still, cloudy evening about the 
middle of April, seven gunboats, three transports, and ten 
barges moved down the river in silent procession. They 
were so protected by cotton-bales and hay, that they scarcely 
looked like boats. Admiral Porter, in the flagship Benton, 
led the way. Vicksburg was dark. Suddenly, just as the 
fleet was in front of the city, the whole hillside blazed with 
lights. The signal-gun had been fired, rockets were sent 
up, and bonfires lighted, until even the court-house clock 
could be seen. Out blazed the rebel Cannon, and the 
national guns gave answer. The roar was deafening. But 



i863. ] Vicksbti rg. 371 

under cover of the smoke and noise, without the loss of a 
single life, the flotilla ran safely by. One transport was lost, 
and two men were wounded. It was a grand idea, and had 
been so nobly carried out, that, ten days later, six wooden 
transport-steamers, without escort of gunboats, ran the block- 
ade of the Vicksburg batteries. Captain Oliver commanded, 
and the Tigress led the fleet. Laden with cotton, provisions, 
and forage, with barrels of water, and hose to use if neces- 
sary, the boats noiselessly drifted with the current down the 
river. Not a light was seen, no steam escaped. Yet, just 
as before, a picket-boat betrayed them to the watchers on 
Vicksburg Heights, and they also ran the gantlet of the ter- 
rible fire. Every steamer received some injury. The Tigress 
and six barges were lost. One man was killed, and eight 
were wounded. The whole fleet had now passed the bat- 
teries, and soon arrived at New Carthage, where General 
McClernand's troops were in waiting. The march across 
the country had been difficult, but nothing less than impos- 
sible things could stop Union soldiers. 

While these slow movements were being made. Colonel 
B. H. Grierson, under Grant's orders, led a gallant little 
army through the enemy's country from Tennessee to Loui- 
siana. His object was to cut the rebel lines of communi- 
cation, to annoy General Pemberton, and to keep him busy, 
and to destroy all of the enemy's property that they could 
lay their hands upon. The march was long, and full of 
dangers. They passed themselves off as Van Dorn's cav- 
alry. One day they rode through a swamp eight miles long, 
where the water was so high that twenty of their horses 
were drowned. They had very little difficulty, however, in 
"borrowing" enough horses from loyal Confederates to 
repair their loss. They once rode forty-eight hours without 
resting, except long enough for their horses to take breath. 
When they reached Baton Rouge, at the beginning of May^ 



372 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

these brave fellows were thoroughly worn out. Many of 
them even fell asleep in their saddles. But the cheers of 
the troops who were expecting them must have waked them 
up ; for never was heartier welcome given, or better earned. 
Colonel Grierson and his trusty soldiers had ridden eight 
hundred miles in sixteen days, taken five hundred prisoners, 
and destroyed four million dollars' worth of rebel property. 

General Grant had found the crossing at New Carthage 
impracticable. He therefore moved as far down the river as 
Hard Times, just above Grand Gulf. Admiral Porter then 
opened fire upon the rebel batteries at Grand Gulf, but, 
failing to silence them, withdrew ; and McClernand marched 
his troops about three miles farther down the river. That 
night, under cover of the mortar-boats, Porter's transports 
and gunboats passed the batteries at Grand Gulf In the 
morning of April 30 Grant's troops began to cross the 
river. Not an hour was to be lost. The crossing began at 
daylight. Every gunboat and transport was used to ferr}- 
over the eighteen thousand men. Like the Greeks who 
stripped themselves for a race, " laying aside every weight," 
so Grant's army left behind every ounce of extra baggage 
in this famous crossing. The baggage of even the Com- 
mander-in-Chief was said to have consisted of "a pipe, 
a tobacco-pouch, and a tooth-brush." The landing was 
made at Bruinsburg. The same night the army pushed on 
to Port Gibson. General Johnston, who had been wounded 
on the Chickahominy the year before, was now commander 
of all the Confederate forces on the Mississippi. He was 
aware of Grant's movement, and ordered General J. S. 
Bowen out to meet the Nationals. In a severe battle near 
Port Gibson, after a gallant defence, Bowen was defeated. 
On May 2 the Union army entered the town, and, as Grand 
Gulf was deserted at the same time ; Grant at once made it 
]iis depot of supplies. 



1863.] Vicksburg. 373 

Sherman, who had been left at MilHken's Bend, was 
ordered to make a feint upon Haines's Bluff when Grant's 
army crossed the Mississippi, in order to distract Johnston's 
attention from its movements. A " feint," you know, is a 
make-beheve. So by pretending that the whole National 
army was to attack this point in the rear of Vicksburg, which 
was the key to that city, General Sherman took the rebel 
mind from Grant. It must be explained that the Confederate 
army was stretched from Haines's Bluff to Grand Gulf. 
Sherman, having accomplished his task, now rejoined Grant, 
and the army moved on again. Jackson, the capital of 
Mississippi, lies directly to the east of Vicksburg, at the 
junction of two important lines of railway. Grant now 
hastened thither to scatter the force which Johnston was 
gathering there, to break up railroad and telegraph connec- 
tion with Vicksburg, and to secure supplies. 

McPherson was ordered to go by the way of Raymond. 
Logan's division, which was in advance, met a stout resist- 
ance. After a brisk action, lasting two or three hours, the 
Confederates were repulsed, and abandoned the field. Grant 
now moved quickly upon Jackson. No very serious resist- 
ance was met till Crocker's division attempted to cross a 
deep cut near Jackson, when the rebels made a determined 
stand ; but a charge, with cheers and fixed bayonets, drove 
them at last in confusion into their works. The Nationals 
continued to advance without hindrance, to find the town 
nearly deserted. The governor and many of the citizens 
had fled. Grant and a party of officers were the first to 
enter the town. His son Fred, who had followed his father's 
fortunes in this campaign, put spurs to his horse, and rode 
into the rebel capital ahead of them all. That night the 
Union flag was hoisted over the State House, and Grant 
occupied the house which had been Johnston's headquarters 
the night before. Sherman was left at Jackson to destroy 



374 Voting Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

rebel property, while the main 'army turned to attack Pem- 
berton, then advancing from Vicksburg. The result was the 
battle of Champion Hills on the i6th of May, really fought 
and won by McPherson's corps. It has been said, that, if 
McClernand had shown half as much energy as McPherson 
and his three division commanders, every man in Pember- 
ton's army might have been captured. The Confederates 
lost General Tilghman, who surrendered Fort Donelson to 
Grant. Pemberton's army was routed, and hastily fell back 
to Bridgeport, on the Big Black River. The night after the 
battle of Champion Hills, an incident took place which shows 
to what straits our hungry soldiers were sometimes pushed. 
Although General Grant did not allow his men to help them- 
selves to what did not belong to them, his strict orders were 
sometimes evaded. 

A hungry soldier set out to find something for his supper. 
He soon returned to his tent, bringing a side of bacon, a bag 
of corn-meal, and (only fancy what a luxury !) a pitcher of 
molasses. After such a good meal as they had not enjoyed 
for many a day, his comrade chanced to pass headquarters, 
and was surprised to hear a woman's voice. He stopped 
and listened. He was just in time to hear her say, "Yes, it 
was one of your soldiers. I could tell him anywheres. He 
was the shortest man ever I see." — " But my soldiers would 
not be guilty of such a thing," the general replied. "Well, 
you just give me an officer to show me around, and Til pick 
him out. I'd know my blue-edged, broken-nosed pitcher 
anywheres," she answered. "Very well," said the general, 
and gave the order. The listener waited no longer. He 
hurried back to his tent, dug a hole in the ground with his 
bayonet, dropped the pitcher in, and covered it up. He 
then told the forager, who was indeed the shortest man 
in his regiment, to hide in the canebrake close by till the 
woman had examined their quarters. He was not a moment 



i863.] Vicksbtirg. 375 

too soon. Hardly had the man disappeared, when she and 
her escort entered the tent, and, after carefully looking about 
her, passed on to another. 

The next morning, Sunday, May 17, Grant attacked the 
Confederates in their works on the Big Black. General M. 
K. Lawlor executed a gallant charge that day, which sent 
the rebels flying in every direction. Seventeen hundred 
prisoners were taken. Although they threw away their arms, 
and left their artillery behind them, the rebels succeeded 
in burning their bridges ; the only thing which prevented 
Grant's army from chasing them into Vicksburg. The pon- 
toon-trains were with Sherman in the rear ; but that night 
Colonel Hickenlooper, McPherson's chief engineer, cleverly 
built a bridge of cotton-bales, over which the troops eagerly 
pressed in the morning. As soon as he arrived, Sherman 
threw his pontoons across the Big Black ; and before daylight 
his command, too, had safely passed over. By ten o'clock 
he was within three miles and a half of Vicksburg, between 
it and Haines's Bluff. Grant and Sherman rode side by side 
to the top of the Walnut Hills, and looked down upon the 
Union fleet in the Yazoo River. Commodore Porter was 
on the Yazoo that morning when he was startled by the 
sound of cannon. Taking his field-glass, he saw men on the 
hills in the rear of Vicksburg. Were they friends, or foes ? 
He almost doubted his own eyes. They were Sherman's 
troops, bearing the flag that he loved to see. Look again ! 
They were signalling to him. You remember, that, by the 
way of the Yazoo, one could gain the back of Vicksburg. 
When he arrived at Haines's Bluff, he found that Sherman 
had already captured the outer works, and the Confederates 
were leaving them. Porter said afterward that he had never 
seen such a network of forts. The rebels had now given 
up all outworks, and withdrawn within the defences of 
Vicksburg. On the 19th a general assault was made, Sher- 



3/6 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

man on the right, McPherson in the centre, and McClernand 
on the left. After a hot encounter without success, for the 
rebels fought well, the Union troops fell back. The next 
two days were spent in establishing connection with the 
Yazoo. No doubt the tired troops were glad to rest, for it 
was evident that it would be no boys' play to reduce Vicks- 
burg. On the morning of May 22, at ten o'clock, another 
assault all along the line was ordered. To make sure that 
every gun should blaze out at the same instant, all the corps 
commanders set their watches with General Grant's. With 
a rush the whole line advanced, only to be beaten back. 
The struggle was fearful. A fort is always surrounded by a 
ditch. A storming-party of one hundred and fifty volunteers 
formed the forlorn hope which was to cross the ditch, and 
scale the parapet. Provided with poles and boards for the 
crossing, at the given signal the party ran forward at full 
speed, closely followed by Ewing's brigade. The ditch was 
passed, the flag was planted on the parapet ; but the bodies 
of that brave band almost closed up the way before the 
troops who pressed on to their support. Something hap- 
pened that day which shall be given in General Sherman's 
own words ; for it shows not only a small boy's courage, but 
a great soldier's gentleness. " When the battle of Vicksburg 
was at its height, on the 2 2d of May, and I was on foot, near 
the road which formed my line of attack, a young lad came 
up to me, wounded and bleeding, with a good healthy boy's 
cry, ' General Sherman, send some cartridges to Colonel 
Malmborg. The men are all out.' — 'What is the matter, 
my boy ? ' I asked. ' They shot me in the leg, sir ; but I can 
go to the hospital. Send the cartridges right away.' Even 
where we stood, the shot fell thick ; and I told him to go to 
the rear at once, I would attend to the cartridges. And 
off he limped. Just before he disappeared over the hill, he 
turned and called out, as loud as he could, ' Caliber 54 ! ' " 




C°?«v^SH^ 



PLANTING THE FLAG AT VICKSBURG. 



i863.] Vicksburg. 379 

And then this kind-hearted, busy man adds in his report his 
opinion that such a faithful boy, wounded and so young, 
would "make a man," which was high praise from such a 
source. This was one of the hardest fought battles of the 
campaign. At last the colors of the Hundred and Thirtieth 
Illinois were planted on the counterscarp, or inner wall ; but 
so deadly was the rain of bullets, that the Nationals could 
get no farther. The colors floated there all day, neither side 
being able to secure them. Of the thirty thousand Union 
men engaged in the second assault, one-tenth were killed 
or wounded. But the assault had failed. " A soldier left 
on the battle-field that night begged piteously for water; 
and, being near the Confederate intrenchments, his cries 
were all directed to the Confederate soldiers. The firing 
was heaviest where the boy lay, and it was at the risk of life 
for any one to go near him. Yet a Confederate soldier asked 
and obtained leave to carry water to him, and stood and 
fanned him while he drank from the heroic soldier's can- 
teen." 

Grant now began to prepare for a siege. The enemy, in 
the mean time, prepared to hold out. Their rations were 
cut down to fourteen ounces and a half for each person. 
We must remember that not soldiers alone occupied the 
besieged town, but women and children lived in it, hiding 
in caves dug in the hillsides ; for Vicksburg was called " the 
city of a hundred hills." Flour reached a thousand dollars 
a barrel in Confederate money. Mule-meat was a dollar a 
pound. Horses were fed on corn-tops. No supplies could 
be brought in, and all communication with the outside world 
was cut off. When the Union army entered the town, the 
following bill of fare was found in the rebel camp : — 



380 Young Folks^ Histoiy of the Civil War. [1863. 
HOTEL DE VICKSBURG. 





BILL 


OF 


FARE FOR 


JULY, I 


863. 




Soup. 










Mule-taiL 














Boiled. 








Mule 


Bacon, 


with 


Poke Greens. 

Roast. 
Mule Sirloin. 


Mule 


Ham, 


canv; 



assed. 



Entrees. 
Mule Head, stuffed and jerked. INfule Liver, hashed and fricasseed. 

Jellies. 
Mule-foot. 

Pastry. 
China-berry Tart. Cottonwood-berry Pie. Pea-meal Pudding. 

Dessert. 

White-oak Acorns. Beechnuts. 

Blackberry-leaf Tea. Genuine Confederate Coffee. 



Parties arriving by the river, or Grant's Inland Route, 
will find Grape, Canister, & Co.'s carriages at the landing, 
or any depot on the line of intrenchments. 

Even the dogs moaned and whined about the streets, howl- 
ing when a shell exploded. To add to the horrors of the 
siege, Grant began to dig mines, through the hills, under the 
town. In these, powder was placed, and fired by means 
of a fuze. The Confederates also resorted to this mode of 



1863.J Vicksburg. 381 

warfare, making counter-mines, thus keeping the wretched 
inhabitants of the town in a state of constant terror. Every 
day Porter shelled the city, and every night the sky was 
red with the glow of his mortars. Yet the rebels held out, 
despite hunger and sickness, and failing ammunition. For 
forty-seven long days and longer nights the siege lasted. 
Surrounded on all sides, the Nationals pressing their lines 
closer every day, an assault hourly expected, and with thirty- 
one thousand hungry soldiers crowded into the town, their 
case grew daily more desperate. 

Now and then, it is true, messengers from Johnston suc- 
ceeded in reaching Vicksburg ; but they were usually cap- 
tured by the Nationals. On one occasion Johnston called 
for volunteers to carry despatches to Pemberton. A man 
presented himself. Entering the Yazoo in a small boat, he 
rowed to tlie Mississippi. Here he left the boat, and hid 
in the wood till dark. He then took off all his clothing, 
and rolled it tightly, with the letters, in a bundle which he 
fastened to a plank. Then he jumped into the Mississippi, 
and in tlie darkness drifted with it down the stream, past the 
Union fleet, 'two miles below Vicksburg, reaching Pemberton 
in safety. 

Finally General Grant made up his mind to make one 
more assault. Seeing that he was getting ready to do so. 
General Pemberton asked Grant to meet him under a flag 
of truce. At three o'clock one afternoon, under an oak- 
tree, these two men came face to face, and talked — does it 
seem strange ? — they even shook hands. They were accom- 
panied by several officers. On both sides, the works were 
crowded with unarmed men hanging over the parapets, and 
looking on. Pemberton asked Grant on what terms he would 
accept his surrender. " Those that were expressed in my 
letter this morning," Grant replied. " If this be all, the 
conference must terminate, and hostilities be resumed im- 



382 Young Folks' Histoiy of the Civil War. L1863. 

mediately," Pemberton answered haughtily. "Very well," 
said Grant, and turned away. After a little more conversa- 
tion by themselves, and some talk between their officers, 
they separated. The next morning, at ten o'clock of the 
4th of July, 1863, Pemberton surrendered; and Grant's 
army celebrated the day by writing " Vicksburg " on their 
banners. 

It was a piteous sight to see the long lines of ragged, half- 
starved, brave but beaten soldiers, as they marched out of 
the town, stacked their arms before their conquerors, laid 
their colors upon them, and then returned within the lines, 
prisoners-of-war. Thirty-one thousand men, of whom more 
than two thousand were officers, and one hundred and 
seventy-two cannon, thus fell into Union hands, — '' the 
largest capture of men and materiel ever made in war." 

Grant's loss in the entire campaign had been about ten 
thousand. It was a proud moment to the young and gallant 
Colonel William E. Strong, of General McPherson's staff, 
when he flung out to the breeze from the court-house 
of Vicksburg the garrison-flag of the Seventeenth Corps. 
A few hours later McPherson's corps, headed by Logan's 
division, entered the town ; and from the same lofty height 
hung the torn and bullet-riddled battle-flag of the Forty- 
Fifth Illinois. It had well won the honor. Grant witli his 
staff, and McPherson with his, rode at the head of the 
column, and went at once to seek Pemberton, whom they 
found seated with his generals ; and, although they saluted 
the Federal commander, no chair was offered him until he 
had been kept standing for some minutes. The boasted 
courtesy of Southern gentlemen deserted the Confederate 
chiefs when it would have become them well. Grant said 
that he was thirsty, but no one offered to get water for 
hmi. After groping about in a dark passage, he found a 
negro at last, who gave him a cup of water. In his absence 



1863.] Vicksburg. 383 

some one had taken his seat, and no other was offered him. 
After half an hour's conversation Grant took his leave, and 
rode to the river to find Admiral Porter. The Union army 
now entered the town. Rations were issued to the lean and 
hungry prisoners during the week that elapsed before their 
release. A Union soldier fainted from fatigue, or joy, as he 
entered Vicksburg. When he recovered, a ragged Con- 
federate was leaning over him, squeezing the juice of some 
fruit into his mouth. " How long is it since yotc had a 
square meal?" asked the "Yank." "Three days," was the 
answer. "Well, there is my haversack, with three days' 
cooked rations. Help yourself," said the Union soldier. 
And the man did "fall to" with such an appetite that there 
was no reason to doubt his word. 

The war-eagle, " Old Abe," behaved like a hero in the 
siege of Vicksburg, flapping his wings, and shrieking as if he 
were cheering his comrades to the fight. He was present 
at the surrender, and it is a pity that he could not have 
known what " victory " meant. 

The Rebellion was stunned, not killed, by the defeat of its 
two great armies ; for the same day which saw the Stars and 
Stripes wave from the court-house at Vicksburg saw also its 
folds flung out in triumph on the hills of Gettysburg. Two 
battles had been fought and won for the Union. 



384 Yoiijig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

ON MANY WATERS. 

THE surrender of Vicksburg settled tlie fate of Port 
Hudson. At that time General Banks was in com- 
mand of the Department of the Gulf with headquarters at 
New Orleans, and Admiral Farragut controlled the naval 
fleet in the Lower Mississippi. Banks learned that the 
Confederate garrisons at Vicksburg and Port Hudson were 
receiving supplies by way of the Red River, which enters 
the Mississippi midway between the two towns. Of course, 
if this were continued, the siege of either Jown might be 
carried on for years : so it was determined to run the batter- 
ies of Port Hudson, and blockade the Red River. Colonel 
Ellet had passed the Vicksburg batteries in Februar\', for the 
same purpose ; but one of his boats was disabled on the 
way, and the other was afterward destroyed in the Red River. 
The night chosen for Farragut's undertaking was as dark 
as a pocket. No lights could be used on board the vessels ; 
but the decks and gun-carriages were whitewashed, while the 
stands of shot and shell were left black. The effect was 
wonderful : objects stood out in clear relief, and yet through 
the darkness the vessels could not be seen from shore. Early 
in the morning of March 14 Farragut anchored a little way 
below Port Hudson, and kept up a lively bombardment all 
day. General Banks at the same time attacked in the rear 
with his land-forces, so that Farragut's design might not be 
suspected. That night, at nine o'clock, at a red signal from 



i863.] On Many Waters. 385 

the flag-ship Hartford, eight war-vessels started on their 
perilous journey, under cover of fire from the mortar-boats, 
vvhicli were to remain below the batteries. Scarcely were 
they off, before they were discovered and fired upon. 

Admiral P'arragut's only son, who was paying him a visit, 
stood by his side. The fleet-surgeon begged that the lad 
be allowed to go below and assist him in the care of the 
wounded, where the danger would be less. " No, that wifl 
not do," answered the Admiral. ^' It is true that our only 
child is on board by chance, and he is not in the service ; 
but, being here, he will act as one of my aides, to assist in 
carrying my orders during battle, and we will trust in Provi- 
dence and the fortunes of war." 

** Who could fail, with him ? 
Who could reckon of life or limb? 

Not a pulse but beat the higher ! 
There had you seen, by#the starlight dim, 
Five hundred faces strong and grim -^ 

The Flag is going under fire ! 
Right up by the fort, with her helm hard-a-port, 

The Hartford is going under fire." 

Like all the larger river-towns. Port Hudson is situated on a 
bend. But just at the turning-point the channel narrows, which 
would seem to promise complete protection to the town, since 
tlie passage of the Union fleet could only be made with the 
utmost danger to itself. Nevertheless, the Hartford fearlessly 
pushed her way up the stream, past the enemy's batteries, 
which opened their hottest fire upon her. One after another, 
all the vessels that followed the flag-ship were disabled or de- 
stroyed, except the Albatross alone. That gallant ship and her 
leader, the Hartford, only got safely through ; but all made a 
noble fight. Farragut's loss was much greater than was Grant's 
afterward in running the batteries at Vicksburg. Lieutenant- 
Commander Cummings stood on the deck of the Richmond, 



386 Yo?mg Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

with a speaking-trumpet in his Imnd, when a shower of shot 
flattened it, and at the same moment a fragment of shell 
took off his leg. As he fell, he said, " Send my letters to 
my wife, boys. Tell her that I fell doing my duty." When 
he was carried down to the surgeon's room, he glanced 
around, and said, " If there be any here hurt worse than 
I, let them be attended to first." Soon after, a noise of 
escaping steam startled the group ; for it told them that 
the engine was struck. Commander Cummings exclaimed, 
'' Get her by the batteries, boys, get her by the batteries, and 
the rebels may have the other leg ! " 

Farragut was now assisted in his Red River expedition 
by four gunboats from Porter's fleet. They succeeded in 
putting a stop to rebel supplies, but no attempt was made to 
capture Port Hudson till the latter part of May. Neither 
side, however, spent those two months in idleness. While 
General Banks was making arrangements to invest the town, 
the Confederates were strengthening their position in every 
imaginable way. To " invest," in a military sense, is to sur- 
round by a force large enough to keep a garrison inside. 

The first assault upon Port Hudson was made on Wednes- 
day, May 27. It was unsuccessful, and the Union loss was 
heavy. General T. W. Sherman was severely wounded. 
After a fortnight the attempt was repeated, with the same 
result. Then began the siege, which was but a repetition 
of that of Vicksburg. The rebels held out manfully. The 
town was literally torn to pieces. Trees were even stripped 
of leaves and bark, and the garrison lived on all sorts of 
miserable food ; rats and mules being commonly used for 
meat. But when, on the 9th of July, Colonel F. K. Gardner, 
the rebel commander, heard of the fall of Vicksburg, he 
surrendered the fort, garrison, and all the materiel of war. 
There were no stores of food left. 

The Mississippi River was now once more open to the 



1863.] On Many Waters. 387 

Union fleet from New Orleans to St. Louis. There was 
great rejoicing a few days later, when the steamer Imperial 
reached her dock at the former port ; for it was the first 
peaceful craft to make the trip in two years. 

While Banks and Farragut had been busy at Port Hudson, 
the Confederate General, Dick Taylor, had seized Brashear 
City and Alexandria, — two towns lying in that network of 
bayous that covers a large part of the State of Louisiana. 
Nor was this all. They even threatened the city of New 
Orleans ; and General Emory, who had been left in command 
there, wrote to General Banks on the 4th of July, urging 
him to return at once. Banks chose to make sure of his 
" bird in the hand," and waited, till, with the fall of Port Hud- 
son, the danger passed : indeed, the whole country surround- 
ing New Orleans was very restless under " Yankee " control. 

Although Galveston, on the Gulf coast of Texas, had 
been captured in November, 1862, it was very far from 
loyal to the Union ; and it was willingly retaken by the rebels 
on Jan. i, 1863. It remained in their possession till the 
close of the war. 

Grant meanwhile had remained in Vicksburg. He was 
made a major-general in the regular army as a reward for 
his services in the late campaign. Generals Sherman and 
McPherson received a well-earned promotion to the rank 
of brigadier-general in the regular army. 

Johnston had advanced to the Big Black River, with the 
hope of aiding Pemberton, when he heard of the surrender 
of Vicksburg : he therefore quickly retreatea to Jackson. 
Sherman pursued him with nearly fifty tliousand men, sur- 
rounded the town, and began a siege. As Johnston had no 
provisions for his army, he could neither make an attack, 
nor stand a siege : so he quietly slipped away, putting the 
Pearl River between himself and Sherman, and burning the 
bridges behind him. Sherman was instructed to relieve 



388 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

the sufferings of the inhabitants, whose city had been laid 
waste by the tramp of two armies. Rations for five hundred 
people for a month were accordingly issued. 

During the siege of Vicksburg the Confederate General 
Walker attacked the post at Milliken's Bend with peculiar 
savageness, on account of the complexion of its garrison, 
for it was made up of colored troops. Against great odds, 
the poor fellows defended themselves. They were at length 
overpowered, and would have been captured, - but for the 
timely assistance of two Union gunboats. 

The Union garrison at Helena, Ark., under General B. 
M. Prentiss, was also attacked. But after a sharp batde, 
lasting several hours, the Confederates withdrew. After 
that, nothing of importance was done for the next two 
months. McPherson's corps was retained at Vicksburg ; 
and Sherman went into camp on the Big Black, where his 
family joined him. 

Events of some importance had also been taking place on 
the Atlantic coast during the past few months. Along its 
whole extent, only Charleston and Savannah remained in 
the possession of the Confederates. General O. M. Mitchel, 
who had been transferred from the West to the Department 
of the South, had begun active preparations for a campaign 
against Charleston, when he suddenly died of yellow-fever ; 
and the intended expedition was abandoned. In February, 
1863, Commander Worden, our old friend who fought the 
first monitor at Hampton Roads, made the attempt to cap- 
ture Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River, a few miles 
below Savannah. For eight months the blockade-runner 
Nashville had been lying under cover of the guns of the 
fort, waiting for a chance to slip out with her cargo. Com- 
mander Worden bombarded the fort from the monitor 
Montauk ; and the fort, in turn, opened fire upon him, 
neither doing the other harm. At length Worden turned his 



i863.] On Many Waters. 391 

attention to the Nashville, and soon a low boom was heard. 
Then a black smoke rose over her. One after another, her 
guns exploded, and at last her magazine. The splendid 
steamer Nashville was in flames. As the Montauk withdrew, 
she ran over a torpedo, which literally lifted her out of the 
water without inflicting serious damage. A few days later 
the whole Union fleet again entered the Ogeechee, to assault 
McAllister. After a fight of eight hours, unrewarded by any 
fruits, the fleet withdrew. 

By this time the monitors had come into such favor, that 
there was a small fleet of them doing duty on the coast. 
But they were better fighters than sailers. The first ram 
bearing that name foundered at sea before it was quite a 
year old. Her crew were saved by her two companions, the 
Passaic and the Montauk, both of which narrowly escaped 
her fate. There were seven monitors now, in the South 
Atlantic squadron, all having Indian names. Early in April 
Commodore Dupont assembled his war-fleet at the entrance 
of Charleston harbor. On the 7th it entered the harbor, and 
slowly moved toward Fort Sumter ; the Weehawken leading 
the way. To Dupont's surprise, the batteries on Morris 
Island were silent. When the vessels made the attempt to 
pass between Sumter and Sullivan's Island, the Weehawken 
was caught by a cable stretched across the channel. Now 
was the time for all the batteries to blaze forth, and they used 
their opportunity to good purpose. The Weehawken turned 
around ; and immediately all the others followed, thus throw- 
ing the fleet into confusion. Commodore Dupont's iron- 
plated frigate, the New Ironsides, became unmanageable. 
The Nantucket and Catskill at the same moment were 
entangled with her, and she had to anchor to keep from 
running aground : so she signalled to the others to go on 
and leave her. The monitors next tried the passage to the 
south of Sumter, but found that impassable also. All this 



392 Voting Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

time shot and shell beat upon the squadron with the regu- 
larity of the ticking of a clock. At last they took position 
in front of Sumter, and opened bombardment upon it. The 
Keokuk was completely riddled ; and, although she was with 
difficulty kept afloat, she sank that night near Morris Island. 
But they all fought well. The Ironsides got off with the 
tide, having only fired two broadsides. The next day 
Dupont returned with his fleet to Port Royal, leaving the 
Ironsides outside of Charleston harbor. The disappoint- 
ment was the greater, because it had been hoped that the 
Union flag might be raised over Sumter on the anniversary 
of the first attack upon it, two years before. 

In June it was whispered that the Atlanta, a swift, strong 
British blockade-runner, had been changed into an iron-clad 
at Savannah, for the purpose of dashing into the Union 
blockade fleet at Charleston. The women of Savannah had 
sold their jewels to meet the expense of her new coat-of- 
mail, and she was said to be equal to any two monitors in 
action. Commodore Dupont therefore sent the Weehawken 
and the Nahant to watch for her. On the 1 7th of June, as 
she was coming down Wilmington River, accompanied by 
two steamers fuU of people who had come out to see the 
destruction of the Union fleet, the Weehawken came in 
sight. Captain John Rodgers beat to quarters, and pre- 
pared the Weehawken for action, closely followed by the 
Nahant. They advanced steadily to meet the Atlanta, which 
lay across the river waiting for them. Captain Rodgers's 
very first shot from a well-aimed fifteen-inch gun penetrated 
the Atlanta's armor, and wounded several men. Another, at 
nearer range, took the roof off the pilot-house, and stunned 
the man at the wheel. In just fifteen minutes after the first 
shot from the Weehawken, the Atlanta hauled down her 
colors, and the battle was over. 

Several changes occurred in the Department of the South 



i863.] 071 Many Waters. 393 

about this time. General David Hunter was transferred 
to the West, and General Q. A. Gillmore succeeded him. 
Commodore Dupont was reheved by Rear-Admiral Foote, 
but while the latter was getting ready to go to his new com- 
mand he died. Admiral John H. Dahlgren, the inventor of 
the Dahlgren gun, succeeded Foote. 

On the 3d of July, just on the eve of the victories at 
Gettysburg and Vicksburg, General Gillmore began opera- 
tions upon Charleston. He secretly conveyed a body of 
men to Folly Island, built earth-works, and mounted heavy 
guns to bear upon the batteries of Morris Island. Your 
map will show you that Folly Island Hes to the south of 
Morris Island, and is only separated from it by a narrow 
inlet. 

When all was ready, these unseen batteries opened fire 
upon the enemy's works, assisted by four monitors. Admiral 
Dahlgren commanded. Under cover of this fire. General 
George E. Strong landed his infantry in small boats, and 
carried the works on the south end of the island by assault. 
Forts Gregg and Wagner, at the north end, were shelled at 
intervals all night ; and early in the morning an unsuccessful 
attempt was made to take Fort Wagner. 

A few days later General Gillmore and Admiral Dahlgren 
attacked Fort Wagner with batteries, monitors, and mortars. 
After three hours, its guns were silenced ; and, presuming 
that it was abandoned, General Seymour undertook to take 
possession of the fort. A fierce and bloody battle followed. 
One colored regiment, led by Colonel Robert G. Shaw, was 
literally destroyed, their gallant leader being among the first 
to fall. General George C. Strong was also killed. After 
twelve hours of hard fighting, the Nationals retired, having 
suffered heavy loss. 

General Gillmore now began a siege. Night and day the 
monitors kept up a steady fire. During the nights new 



394 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

batteries were built nearer and nearer to Fort Wagner, 
while all day long the Union guns shelled both it and 
Sumter. 

Does it seem possible that a gun on Morris Island could 
throw a two-hundred-pound ball with force enough to go 
through a wall as far away as Charleston, a distance of five 
miles? "The Swamp Angel," a Union Parrott gun, per- 
formed this feat, to the great discomfort of the dwellers in 
that city. 

For seven days General Gillmore bombarded Fort Sumter. 
On the 24th of August he demanded its surrender, together 
with the forts on Morris Island. In return, Beauregard 
complained of General Gillmore's " barbarity " in firing 
upon defenceless old men, women, and children. To this, 
Gillmore answered that Beauregard had not performed his 
duty in removing them, although he had been given forty 
days in which to do it. After that, only an occasional re- 
minder of its Union neighbors was dropped into Charleston. 
On the 7th of September it was discovered that the rebels 
had secretly evacuated Forts Wagner and Gregg, thus leaving 
Morris Island in full possession of the Union troops, who 
repaired and strengthened the abandoned works, and built 
new batteries. Charleston began to feel the effect of the 
protracted bombardment, and now and then a Union shot 
told upon Sumter. Not only did the city suffer in the 
destruction of its buildings, but its wharves and docks were 
under fire so constantly, that the business of blockade- 
running was out of the question. 

In December the monitor Weehawken suddenly sank, 
in a gale, off Morris Island. Four engineers and twenty- 
six of her crew went down with her : the rest jumped over- 
board at the last moment, and were saved. It was supposed 
that her hatches had been left open, and she thus filled with 
water. It was a sad fate for the brave little company within 



i363.] On Many Waters. 395 

her iron walls, and the lesson of doing little duties as well 
as big ones was learned too late. No further attempt was 
made to capture the city of Charleston, or the forts in its 
harbor, during the years 1863 or 1864. 



396 Yoiuig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 



CHAPTER XXVf. 

STEPS THAT COUNT. 

THE Army of the Cumberland had enjoyed a long va- 
cation. It was not until the end of June, 1863, that 
Rosecrans began to prepare for an advance upon the Con- 
federate lines. His plan then was to drive Bragg from his 
intrenched position at Shelbyville, Ala., cut off his retreat, 
and force him to fight on a field of Rosecrans' own choosing. 
Twelve days' rations were issued to the Union troops, and on 
the 23d the march began. But Bragg did not fall into the 
trap so nicely set for him. Although some sharp fighting 
took place, he steadily fell back to Bridgeport on the Ten- 
nessee River. 

Rosecrans followed. But the roads were heavy, and the 
march was difficult ; so that Bragg was safely established in 
Chattanooga before the Union army could overtake him. 
Still, Rosecrans was well satisfied with the result of his nine 
days' campaign. Although he had not captured Chatta- 
nooga, as he had set out to do, his army had driven Bragg 
out of Middle Tennessee, and taken a large number of 
prisoners, besides a quantity of commissary stores. The next 
three weeks were spent in repairing railroads and m bringing 
forward supplies. Another reason for delaying the move- 
ment upon Chattanooga was that the corn might ripen, and 
so provide food for the Union army. 

Hardly had Rosecrans' army started on its march toward 
Shelbyville, when one morning the Union garrison at Somer- 



i863.] Steps that Count. 399 

set, Ky., was startled by the sudden appearance of a woman, 
who dashed into its camp on a jaded horse, begging to see 
the commanding general, as " every moment was precious." 
The general courteously asked the woman to alight. Then 
she told him that she had ridden from East Tennessee, a 
distance of many miles, over rough and dangerous roads, 
to bring him news that John Morgan with twenty-five hun- 
dred men had crossed the Cumberland, and was at that 
moment marching on Columbia. A wounded scout had 
brought the word to her house ; and as the woman had no 
sons, and her husband was in the Union army, she had 
herself made the journey to warn the garrison. General 
Carter sent a reconnoitring party out immediately to look 
for the raiders, who suddenly came upon them ; and in 
the battle that followed, Carter was killed. Overwhelmed 
by superior numbers, his troops retreated. Morgan then 
marched upon Columbia, Lebanon, and other large towns, 
on his way to the Ohio, where he seized two steamers to 
carry his troops across, afterward burning the boats. He 
dashed througli Indiana, destroying property on every 
hand, and crossed into Ohio. He was bold enough to ride 
around Cincinnati, so near as to see its houses. Although 
tlie people were panic-stricken, it must not be supposed 
that they sat still and saw him spoil their goods. The whole 
country was on his track, and many a skirmish took place 
in that long raid. On Sunday morning, July 19, Morgan 
reached the shore of the Ohio again, intending to cross at 
Buffington's Ford, near Marietta. But a band of Union 
men was already there ; and a fierce battle was fought, which 
lasted several hours, in which Major Daniel McCook was 
mortally wounded. He was an old man, the father of eight 
sons, all serving under the National flag. He was as true 
a patriot as ever carried musket. In one of the two gun- 
boats which took part in the fight, a gun was manned by 



400 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

the son of the captain, Nathaniel Pepper, a lad but eighteen 
years old. Fifteen hundred reT^el prisoners were captured. 
In the rebel camp, and on the persons of the captives, were 
found "greenbacks ; " and the ground was strewn with arti- 
cles which had been taken from peaceable citizens. Morgan, 
with some of his company, escaped. Two days later, how- 
ever, they were again taken, at New Lisbon, and sent to the 
State-Prison at Columbus. Not long after, Morgan and 
some of his officers got out by digging under the walls, and 
so made their away to the rebel lines again. 

Early in September, Rosecrans made vigorous prepara- 
tions for an advance. Bragg saw the stir in the Union camp, 
and was afraid of an attack ; but when the army moved to 
the east, toward Georgia, he hastily left Chattanooga, and 
threw himself between the Union army and Adanta, with 
headquarters at Lafayette, behind Pigeon Mountain. Here 
he was re-enforced by Buckner's garrison from Knoxville, 
which had fled upon the approach of Burnside. 

Rosecrans then proceeded to take possession of Chatta- 
nooga, having done the very thing which he had hoped to 
accomphsh, in drawing Bragg out of it. A glance at the 
map will be necessary to understand the position of tlie two 
armies ; but one who has never seen that rugged country 
can form but a faint idea of the difficulties which blocked 
the way of both. Chattanooga is the Indian name for 
hawk's nest. It lies in a gap of the mountains on the east 
bank of the Tennessee River. Just south of the town are 
two distinct mountain ranges. That at the west is known as 
Lookout Mountain, and the one to the eastward is called 
Missionary Ridge. Still farther east are others less important ; 
Pigeon Ridge being the largest, behind whicli Bragg was en- 
camped. Between Missionary Ridge and Pigeon Mountain, 
the Chicakamauga Creek, which the Indians called " The 
River of Death," lazily flows on its way to the Tennessee. 



i863.] Steps that Count. 4OI 

Rosecrans, supposing the enemy to be retreating, left a 
small force at Chattanooga, and began immediate pursuit. 
It was now Rosecrans' turn to be deceived. Instead of re- 
treating, Bragg was already advancing toward Chattanooga, 
well knowing that Longstreet, on his way from Virginia with 
re-enforcements, was not far distant. So on Friday, the 
1 8th of September, the two armies confronted each other 
on the Chickamauga, Bragg on the east bank, Rosecrans 
on the west. 

There was some skirmishing during that day ; but on 
Saturday the battle opened in earnest, and lasted till even- 
ing. Neither side had the advantage, yet this sad record 
of that day's work is given by one who took part in the 
battle : " When the firing ceased, one could have walked 
two hundred yards down that ditch of dead rebels without 
touching the ground." The next day, Sunday, the 20th, the 
slaughter was even more terrible. Longstreet had come, 
and the enemy's strength was thus nearly doubled. Early in 
the day, General William H. Lytle of the Union army was 
killed. Rosecrans' right wing and centre were completely 
broken. Thomas was gallantly holding his ground on the 
left, unconscious that he was fighting the batde alone ; for 
by Rosecrans' defeat his communication with Thomas had 
been cut off. Uncertain of the fate of his friend and favorite 
general, Rosecrans, and Garfield, his chief of staff, got off 
their horses, and, putting their ears to the ground, tried to 
discover whether Thomas was still holding out. " It is a 
scattering fire," said Rosecrans, listening. " He is broken." 
— "No, General," Garfield urged. "He is holding his 
ground. They are regular volleys." So they talked and 
listened. At length Rosecrans exclaimed, " You are mista- 
ken, Garfield. He is giving way. We must hurry back to 
Chattanooga, and hold it." — "Well, General, if you think 
so, let me go to Thomas," Garfield replied. And with a 



402 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

" God bless you ! " and a parting grasp of the hand, the 
two separated. Rosecrans hastened to Chattanooga, and 
wildly telegraphed the news of his disaster to Washington. 

Garfield, braving every danger, rode with an orderly, 
straight toward the sound of the firing. Through the valley, 
across an open cotton-field where behind the fence sharp- 
shooters lay in ambush, up a slope in full view of the enemy, 
away they went. Like a ship in a storm, they rode in a zig- 
zag course, tacking to escape the aim of a bullet. Garfield's 
horse was twice shot, but neither horse nor rider cared for a 
flesh-wound. He reached the crest in safety ; and at last, 
on the other side, in the midst of a shower of shot and shell, 
he made out Thomas. With his eager eyes full of manly 
tears, he cried, " God bless the old hero ! He has saved the 
army." Then Garfield hurriedly told Thomas that he was 
outflanked, that Longstreet's army was upon him, that he 
must form a line upon Horseshoe Ridge to meet the assault 
of the enemy. Hardly was the order given when Longstreet 
appeared in sight. The line was too short. W1iat could be 
done ? At that instant, from a cloud of dust. General Gor- 
don Granger came forth, and reported to Thomas for duty. 
The re-enforcements were just in time. The gap was filled. 
Then came the crash. Steedman of Granger's command 
seized the colors of a regiment, and led the charge. He 
drove the rebels from their position, and after a battle of 
twenty minutes, " a ghastly breastwork of three thousand 
mingled blue-coats and gray filled the gap ; and the Army 
of the Cumberland was saved from destruction." Thomas 
had well earned the name of "The Hero of Chickamauga." 

Meanwhile, Sheridan and Davis gathered some of Rose- 
crans' flying troops, and held the pass at Rossville till sun- 
set. The battle of Chickamauga had been a terrible defeat. 
That night Thomas withdrew to Chattanooga, leaving nearly 
seventeen thousand dead and wounded to the mercies of 



i863.] Steps that Count. 403 

the Confederates. How tender those mercies were, let the 
captives in Southern prisons tell. 

The story of Chickamauga would not be complete with- 
out the mention of Johnny Clem, the drummer-boy. A child 
of twelve years, he had enlisted in a Michigan regiment. 
Late on the Sunday of the battle, he found himself almost 
alone, when a Confederate colonel on horseback shouted 
to him to surrender. The boy, seeing that he was caught, 
picked up a gun, and fired, killing the colonel instantly. 
For this act of courage he was made a sergeant, " and the 
stripes of rank covered him all over, like a mouse in a 
harness." He was given duty at headquarters ; and the 
daughter of Secretary Chase sent him a medal of honor. 
Twenty years after, he was a captain in the regular army. 

It is true that Rosecrans held Chattanooga ; but an embar- 
rassing part of his possession was, that he could not leave 
it. Bragg dared not attack him in his intrenched position ; 
but the rebel lines were drawn more closely around him 
every day, and Chattanooga was beleaguered. Rosecrans 
had one road by which he could bring in food for his army, 
but the rains of that season had made its condition such that 
even that could not be used. Halleck now telegraphed east 
and west for relief for the army shut up in Chattanooga. 
He ordered Hooker there with the corps of Howard and 
Slocum. He placed Grant at the head of the military divis- 
ion of the Mississippi, which was made up of tlie Depart- 
ment of the Ohio under Burnside, of the Cumberland under 
Rosecrans, and of the Tennessee, Grant's own command. 
Burnside was already doing duty at Knoxville ; and Grant 
immediately ordered Sherman to Chattanooga. Sherman 
was then placed in charge of the Department of the Ten- 
nessee, and Thomas superseded Rosecrans. On the last 
day of September, Sherman took passage with his troops 
on the river for Memphis. His family, who had spent the 



404 Young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

summer with him on the Big Black River, accompanied 
him. Wilhe, his youngest boy, but nine years old, was the 
pet and pride of the soldiers. He had shared their drills 
and parades, reported daily at guard-mount, and was made 
"sergeant" in the Thirteenth United-States Battahon. Just 
after the boat had started, it was discovered that the boy 
was ill, and almost immediately the surgeon pronounced his 
disease typhoid fever. The passage to Memphis was very 
slow, for the river was low ; and Willie grew steadily worse. 
Just before they arrived, the doctor told General Sherman 
that he feared the boy would die. It was staggering news. 
They carried the little sufferer to the Gayoso Hotel in Mem- 
phis, and called other physicians to advise with their own. 
But neither skill nor loving care could save the child. So 
" Sergeant " Willie Sherman, the well-beloved boy, who bore 
his father's name and loved his father's soldier-life, passed 
out of his sheltering arms. The next night General Sher- 
man wrote a touching letter to the officers and soldiers of 
the Thirteenth, thanking them for their love and kindness to 
his dead boy. But the heart-broken father could spare no 
time for mourning. His orders were urgent ; and in a few 
days he left his family, and started across the country for 
Chattanooga. After a difficult and weary march, he arrived, 
on the 14th of November. He found the Union army there 
in a position by no means enviable. The rebel batteries 
along the crest of Lookout Mountain were clearly outlined 
against the sky. Rebel tents speckled the sides of Mission- 
ary Ridge, and across the valley were stretched lines of 
rebel intrenchments. Hooker was already there. On the 
26th of October he had crossed the Tennessee at Bridge- 
port, and marched through a pass of the Raccoon Mountain. 
The rebels could see his marching column, and shelled it 
from the heights. 

On the way some soldiers entered the house of a wom.'n 



1863.] Steps that Count. 407 

who was unlucky enough to live on the line of march. They 
found her calmly seated in a chair, taking her chances of 
a shell, while under the bed she had hidden a pet calf to 
protect it from harm. 

The Confederates made a savage attack upon General 
Geary's division, near Wauhatchie, at midnight, intending to 
surprise his men asleep. But he received them with cool 
courage and a steady fire, holding his position for three hours 
against great odds, until the enemy was defeated. When 
General Howard tried to press re-enforcements forward to 
Geary's support, he found himself, with two or three of his 
staff, riding quite alone, in advance of his troops. At that 
moment he encountered a party of rebels. Not being able 
to make out his uniform in the moonlight, they asked who 
he was. "A friend," Howard answered, and added, " Have 
you whipped the enemy?" — "No; but we should have 
done it, if our regiments had not run off and left us here," 
they replied. " You had better be careful in going forward," 
one suggested ; "for the 'Yanks' are just in the edge of that 
wood." — "I'll be careful," returned Howard; and he rode 
off, thankful for the timely advice. 

Sherman's troops also crossed the river at Bridgeport, 
when they arrived. On the march to Chattanooga a soldier 
of Blair's corps joined a party of Howard's men at their 
camp-fire. He noticed that they all wore stars, and asked 
if they were all brigadier-generals ; for he had never heard 
of a corps-badge. Howard's men then explained that they 
belonged to the Twentieth Corps, whose badge was a star, 
and even their baggage was marked with it. "What is your 
badge ? " they then asked. Blair's soldier was a little puz- 
zled; but he answered, "Why, forty rounds in the car- 
tridge-box, and twenty in the pocket." When Logan, who 
succeeded Blair, heard the story, he adopted the cartridge- 
box and forty rounds for his corps-badge. 



4o8 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

During the night of Nov. 22 General W. F. Smith, some- 
times distinguished by his friends as " Baldy " Smith, built 
two pontoon-bridges, one of which was thirteen hundred 
and fifty feet long. Sherman's troops were safely crossed 
during the next day, and, following the Chickamauga Creek, 
pressed up the foot-hills, and toward the northern end of 
Missionary Ridge. That afternoon a sharp battle was fought, 
in which Sherman repulsed the rebels, and held the ground 
already gained. On the right. Hooker had also been busy. 
He was ordered to draw the attention of the enemy from 
Sherman's movement by an attack upon Lookout Mountain. 
On the morning of the 24th he found Lookout Creek too 
high to cross. He therefore began building a bridge ; but 
in the mean time, he sent Geary with a larger force up the 
creek to cross at Wauhatchie. 

Geary was then to turn back again, and sweep along the 
base of Lookout, skirmishing smartly under cover of the 
artillery fire. All this time the rebels were too busy in 
watching the bridge-builders to notice Geary's movements 
until he was close upon them. A friendly fog had also 
helped to conceal the movements of the Union soldiers, 
who now advanced upon the Confederates with cheers, and 
drove them around the peak of the mountain. Hooker's 
troops gallantly fought their way, driving the enemy to the 
crest and over it. So dense was the fog and smoke, that 
only battle-sounds indicated to those in the valley what was 
going on at the top of the mountain. This was Hooker's 
famous " battle among the clouds." The Union troops en- 
camped for the night on Lookout Mountain, and the rising 
sun saw the Stars and Stripes floating from its rocky peak. 
The enemy had departed. In the morning Hooker ad- 
vanced again, and drove the rebels out of the Chattanooga 
valley. At the same time Sherman was still fighting on 
Missionary Ridge. It was an evenly matched battle. The 



1863.1 Steps that Coiuit. 409 

sky was now clear, and the action could be distinctly seen 
from Grant's headquarters on Orchard Knob. Sherman had 
drawn Bragg's attention from the centre, and Grant now 
seized the opportunity to advance Thomas's troops quickly 
to assault the Ridge. At a given signal, away they went 
across the valley, under a deadly fire from Bragg's batteries ; 
four divisions closely massed, — Johnson, Sheridan, Wood, 
and Baird. The steady tramp soon broke into a double- 
quick. A thousand prisoners were taken without the firing 
of a single gun. General Sheridan has said that he beheved 
it impossible to resist the effect upon the nerves of that 
wavering, glittering mass of steel. The fire from the moun- 
tain was terrible, but the Union troops advanced with the 
coolness of a dress-parade. Five or six color-bearers to one 
flag were shot down. In fifty-five minutes Sheridan had lost 
eleven hundred and seventy- nine men out of six thousand. 
But Missionary Ridge was carried triumphantly, in a charge 
which has been called "the privates' victory." Four soldiers 
bore a wounded color-sergeant on a blanket to the rear. 
When they laid him down, a member of the Christian 
Commission knelt beside him, and said, " Sergeant, where 
did they hit you?" — "Most up the Ridge, sir." — "I mean, 
sergeant, where did the ball strike you?" — "Within twenty 
yards of the top — almost up." — " No, no, sergeant, think 
of yourself for a moment : tell me where you are wounded." 
His friend then threw back the sergeant's blanket, and 
found his shoulder and arm torn by a shell. The sergeant 
glanced at it for the first time, then said, " Yes, that is what 
did it. I was hugging the standard to my blouse, and 
making for the top : when I was nearly up, the shot came. 
If they had let me alone a little longer, — two minutes 
longer, — I should have planted the colors on the top. 
Almost up — almost up " — And so he died, thinking, not 
of himself, but of his duty and his country, while in his dull 



41 Yoiuig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863. 

ears were ringing the victorious shouts of his comrades who 
had gained the top, and carried the day. 

Hooker was pounding away on the rebel left all this 
time. Bragg had tried in vain to rally his men ; and, when 
there was no longer hope of victory, he fled through the 
valley, follovyed by his artillery and trains. Sheridan was at 
his heels, but Bragg was too fleet to be caught. Chatta- 
nooga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge had been 
taken, beside forty cannon and six thousand prisoners. The 
killed and wounded on both sides numbered ten thousand. 
After, the battle, a young Kentucky boy lay wounded in the 
Ridge hospital. "Are you badly hurt?" the chaplain asked. 
" Yes, sir," he answered cheerfully. " I hope that I shall 
not die, but it is a good cause to be wounded in." 

General Thomas remained in Chattanooga in command 
of the Department of the Cumberland, while Grant made 
his headquarters at Nashville, Tenn. Congress voted Gen- 
eral Grant a gold medal as an expression of the value which 
it set upon his services. The President wrote a letter of 
thanks to him and his army. Mr. Lincoln also set apart 
Dec. 7, icS63, as a day of public prayer and thanksgiving 
for the late victories which had crowned the Union arms. 



In Divers and Siindiy Places, 411 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

IN DIVERS AND SUNDRY PLACES. 

THE Confederacy was very much like the ancient fabled 
hydra : when one of its hundred heads was cut off, 
another grew agahi. So no sooner was one point captured 
than up sprang a band of rebels in another place. Ever 
since the war began, the loyal people of East Tennessee 
had suffered cruel persecution for their love of the Union. 
When, therefore, on the 9th of September, Burnside entered 
Knoxville, he was received with wild enthusiasm. It is true 
that he encountered small bodies of Confederates on the 
march, but Bragg needed his troops at Chattanooga too 
much to waste them on smaller enterprises. Burnside's 
route lay through Cumberland Gap, which had been for 
eighteen months in the hands of the Confederates. General 
Shackleford now threatened the Gap upon one side, and 
Colonel DeCourcy upon the other : so when Burnside ap- 
peared and joined Shackleford, the Confederates were easily 
driven out, leaving Cumberland Gap again in the possession 
of the Nationals. That was a happy day for the Union 
refugees hiding in the mountains. Old men wept for joy 
when they saw the Stars and Stripes, and women stood by 
the roadside to give water to the soldiers. 

One day, as some Union officers were riding along, they 
met a bevy of i)oys and girls returning from school. By 
way of a good-natured joke, one officer called out, m a 
voice intended for the children to hear, "Here is a fine 



412 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1863, 

chance to take some rebel prisoners ! " Instead of the 
stampede which was expectecf, the eldest of the party, 
a girl of thirteen, swung her old sun-bonnet, and cried, 
" There's where you are mistaken, sir : we are all ' Yanks ' 
♦o the last man." 

So Burnside occupied Knoxville. On the 14th of No- 
vember Bragg sent Longstreet to make a demonstratioh 
upon the place ; but, meeting a stout resistance, he withdrew. 
On the 29th, Longstreet made another assault. Again the 
rebels were beaten, but with a heavy loss on the Union side. 
General Sanders fell, mortally wounded. Since Burnside 
held out so bravely, Longstreet determined upon a siege. 
Luckily the garrison was supplied with three weeks' rations, 
which enabled it to hold its position till after the surrender 
of Chattanooga. 

In the mean time Burnside had sent word to Grant that 
he was beleaguered, and before that tired commander slept^ 
on the night of the victory at Missionary Ridge, he wrote to 
Sherman, urging him to hasten to the relief of Knoxville. 
The next morning, Sherman was off. Although his troops 
were nearly exhausted, they made the march of eighty -four 
miles without resting, and arrived on Dec. 5, to find that 
Longstreet had already returned to Virginia. Sherman was 
surprised to find the garrison living very comfortably, en- 
joying luxuries which he had not seen for many a day. He 
growled a little, because he had hurried his worn-out men so 
fast, while the besieged garrison was so far from starvation. 
As he was no longer needed, Sherman returned to Chatta- 
nooga, and soon after went into winter quarters at Bridgeport. 
His army was not long to remain idle. At the end of 
January, 1864, it was ordered back to Vicksburg, where, co- 
operating with McPherson and Hurlbut, it was to do what- 
ever came to hand. 

On the 3d of February, Sherman left Vicksburg, and 



1864.] In Divers and Sundry Places. 415 

began a campaign to destroy rebel property and communica- 
tions, and to cut off rebel supplies ; thus driving the enemy 
from that region, thus freeing the Union troops which were 
now required to guard it. Sherman's force numbered about 
twenty-three thousand, and moved in two columns. The 
march was made as rapidly and with as little baggage as 
possible. It was one continual skirmish ; for the rebels 
were as thick along their path as dandelions in the spring. 
Let us follow the line of advance. Crossing the Big Black 
River, they marched through Jackson, Miss., crossed the Pearl 
River, and pushed on through Decatur to Meridian, where 
General William Sooy Smith and our old friend (xrierson 
were to join Sherman. Rebel cavalry were always at hand 
to annoy the advancing armies. One day Sherman had sta- 
tioned a regiment at a cross-roads near Decatur, Ala., to wait 
for McPherson's column to come up. Sherman, in the mean 
time, had fallen asleep at a house near by, where he was 
aroused by shots, and informed that the house was surrounded 
by rebel cavalry. With some of his staff, Sherman ran to a 
corn-crib in the yard, when the regiment which had marched 
off re-appeared, and put the rebels to flight. It seems that 
General McPherson and some of his staff rode in advance 
of the column ; and the regiment, having mistaken them for 
the main column, supposed their duty done, and went on. 
So Sherman narrowly escaped capture. When he reached 
Meridian, Smith and Grierson were not there, and, although 
lie waited a week, no news of them was received. That week 
was improved, however ; for before he left it Sherman had 
reduced Meridian to a pile of ruins. Two years after, a 
traveller, in passing through that region, asked a " native " 
whether Sherman injured the town much. " Injured ! " 
was the reply. " Why, he took it with him ! " This seems 
hard ; but it was a military necessity, for Meridian was a great 
workshop and storehouse for Confederate arms and supplies. 



41 6 Young Folks' History of the Civil IVar. [1864. 

Thinking it useless to wait for the missing generals, Sher- 
man with his command returned to Vicksburg. Grierson 
and Smith meanwhile had started later than their orders 
required. They met a considerable force of the enemy on 
the way, and turned back to Memphis, followed by Forrest, 
who engaged them in a sharp battle, and won. Even though 
Smith had failed of what he intended, he was able to do 
great harm to rebel property. The negroes along his line 
of march were nearly wild with joy at his approach, and 
welcomed him as their deliverer. One old man cried, " God 
bless ye ! We've been a-lookin' for ye a long time, and we'd 
a'most done gone guv it up." 

Forrest then led a raid througli Tennessee and Kentucky. 
He seized the towns of Jackson and Union City, Tenn,, 
then, turning north, he fell upon Paducah, Ken. The com- 
mander. Colonel S. G. Hicks, refused to surrender ; and, 
after holding out manfully with his small garrison for two 
days, the invaders were scared off by re-enforcements from 
Cairo. In April, on the anniversary of the firing of the first 
gun at Charleston, Forrest attacked Fort Pillow on the Mis- 
sissippi, which was held by five hundred and thirty-eight 
men, half of whom were negroes. 

The white troops were commanded by Major Bradford. 
Early in the battle. Major Booth, the commander of the 
colored troops, was killed ; and Major Bradford succeeded 
him in command. At noon Forrest sent a flag of truce, 
with the demand for the surrender of the fort. Bradford 
asked for an hour to consult with the other officers ; and 
Forrest violated the truce by moving, in the mean time, to 
a better position for an assault. After a little while Forrest 
sent another flag, with a message, that, unless the post were 
surrendered within twenty minutes, he would storm the 
works. By the end of that time the Confederates had crept 
up to within a hundred yards of the furt. Bradford stoutly 



i864.] In Divei'S and Sundry Places. 417 

refused to yield. His answer was received with yells. The 
bugle was sounded, and the rebels rushed over the fortifi- 
cations with a cry of " No quarter ! " Terror-stricken and 
overpowered, the Union troops threw down their arms, and 
fled before the enemy. Like a band of Indians, the assail- 
ants butchered men, women, and little children, only stop- 
ping in their dreadful work because night hid their victims 
from their sight. Even Confederate officers assisted in the 
massacre of Fort Pillow, as if it were a pastime. Old men 
and children, even the sick in hospital, were made targets 
for their skill ; while all the time the cry of " No quarter ! " 
rang in the ears of the victims. The poor negroes were 
slain in the most savage manner. The Confederate general, 
Chalmers, especially distinguished himself in this affair. The 
Confederate report ran thus : " One hundred prisoners were 
taken, and the balance slain. The fort ran with blood. The 
Confederate loss was seventy-five." No deeds of chivalry 
or daring may wipe from the escutcheon of General Forrest 
the dark stain left upon it by the massacre of Fort Pillow. 

Two months afterward General S. D. Sturgis left Mem- 
phis with a force of nine thousand infantry and artillery, 
and three thousand cavalry under Grierson, for the capture 
of Forrest. The two forces met at Guntown on the Mobile 
and Ohio Railway. In a sharp battle the Nationals were 
routed with a loss of three thousand men, and fled in wild 
confusion toward Memphis, closely followed by the enemy. 

In July, General A. J. Smith war, oeaten by Forrest near 
Tupelo, and again the Union troops fell back to Memphis. 
Forrest seemed to bear a charmed life ; for not long after 
he dashed into the very streets of Memphis, and rode up 
to the Gayoso House, intending to capture some of the Fed- 
eral generals whom he supposed to be there. He did carry 
off several staff-oflicers and three hundred soldiers, but 
he missed the prize which he sought. So cleverly, however, 



41 8 Von?ig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

did Forrest perform this feat, that he was off before one 
of the six thousand soldiers in .and around Memphis knew 
of his presence. 

Early in January, 1864, General Halleck ordered an ex- 
pedition to the Red River country to cut off the supplies 
which still continued to reach the Confederates from that 
quarter. It took a long time to organize an expedition so 
difficult, and it was March before the different armies began 
to move. Away above Alexandria, in the north-west corner 
of Louisiana, is Shreveport, on the west bank of the Red 
River. To the capture of this town, which was in reality 
the base of supply for the rebel army, Halleck especially 
looked. By consulting your map you will see that it can 
be reached in three different ways. Admiral Porter had 
collected a fine fleet of monitors, rams, gunboats, and other 
vessels ; and on the 1 2th of March he awaited orders at 
the mouth of the Red River, where he was joined by Gen- 
eral A. J. Smith with ten thousand troops borrowed from 
Sherman. The land forces from New Orleans were intrusted 
by General Banks to General Franklin, whom we last met 
at Fredericksburg. General Steele was also ordered to co- 
operate with Banks by way of Litde Rock, Ark. The whole 
fleet, thirty-eight vessels altogether, anchored at the site of 
Semmesport on the Red River. The troops landed, and, 
marching toward Fort De Russy, assaulted and carried it, 
destroying the works. They then re-embarked, and steamed 
up to Alexandria. As the rebels retreated before them, they 
destroyed two steamboats and a quantity of cotton. The 
Red River is only navigable for large vessels in the months 
of March and April, and the water was already beginning 
to fall. There are some rapids in it at Alexandria, over 
which Porter with difficulty forced his iron-clads, leaving 
some of the heaviest below. Added to this misfortune, 
General McPherson had found it necessary to recafl a part 



1864.] In Divers and Sundry Places. 4I9 

of Smith's command for special duty on the Mississippi. It 
was also found that General Steele could not assist Banks 
as had been intended. So Banks's army dwindled down to 
about one-third of its original proportions. On the 4th of 
April, Franklin arrived at Natchitoches with the van of his 
army. Porter found it impossible to get farther than Grand 
Ecore, four miles to the north of Natchitoches, on the pres- 
ent channel of the Red River. Since the river could not be 
employed to forward troops or sup[jlies, a baggage-train was 
added to the marching column, which pushed on through 
the sandy pine-barrens, toward Shreveport, Although the 
march had not been free from skirmishing, the enemy had 
not offered a stubborn resistance. Banks felt confident of 
success. On the 8th of April, however, he encountered a 
force of Confederates at Sabine Cross-roads, which drove 
the advance-guard back upon the wagon-train ; and, as the 
infantry marched last of all, it was impossible to get it up 
past the wagons to support the cavalry. A general engage- 
ment followed ; but the road was so blockaded, that gallant 
fighting in such an irregular way went for nothing. The 
Union troops fell back in confusion for three miles, when 
the Nineteenth Corps formed in order of battle, and checked 
their flight. The rebels fell upon the Nineteenth, but with- 
out much effect. 

So they withdrew to wait till morning. In the night Banks 
retired to Pleasant Hill, having suffered heavy loss in both 
men and stores. The next day a hard battle was fought and 
won by the Federals. Although the enemy was driven from 
the field. Banks fell back to Grand Ecore with the rebel 
cavalry at his heels. The next thing was to get the gun- 
boats down the river again, for the water was even lower 
than when they went up. When Porter was at his wits' end, 
Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Bailey proposed to build a series 
of dams across the rocks at the falls, thus raising the water 



History of the Civil War. [1864. 

high enough to let the vessels pass over in safety, just as 
locks are used in canals. Porter and Banks were hearty in 
their support of the plan, but the best engineers called it 
madness. Three thousand men, with more than two hun- 
dred wagons, were immediately set at work. After eight 
days of hard work, when the dams were nearly done, the 
pressure of the water swept away a portion of their support. 
Seizing the opportunity. Porter ordered the Lexington to 
pass over with the rushing water. Steadily she steered for 
the opening. It seemed as if the whirlpool must carry her 
down. "The silence was so great, as the Lexington ap- 
proached the dam, that a pin might almost have been heard 
to fall. She entered the gap with a full head of steam on, 
pitched down the roaring torrent, made tw^o or three spas- 
modic rolls, hung for a moment on the rocks below, was 
then swept into deep water by the currents, and rounded 
safely into the bank. Thirty thousand voices rose in one 
deafening cheer." The Neosho, Osage, and Hinman fol- 
lowed. Li three days the dams were repaired, and the other 
vessels came safely over the rocks. On the 13th of May 
army and fleet had left Alexandria, and the Red River 
expedition was abandoned. The town of Alexandria was 
left in flames. Let us hope, for the honor of the Union 
cause, that helpless old men, women, and children were not 
made homeless by the defenders of the Stars and Stripes. 

In March, General Steele had left Litde Rock to join 
Banks's expedition. By a flank movement he had captured 
the town of Camden, Ark. But Banks's failure had left 
the Confederates free to operate in that State. The safety 
of Steele's command was endangered ; and he retreated 
to Little Rock, having narrowly escaped capture with his 
half-starved army. The withdrawal of Steele opened once 
Miore the way for the invasion of Missouri. General Price's 
guerillas swarmed over the country, and his army threa- 



1864.1 



In Divers and Sundry Places. 



42: 



tened the larger cities. At last he started for Kansas ; but 
Curtis met him, and Rosecrans followed him : so he again 
turned south toward the Osage River. General Pleasanton, 
then in command at Jefferson City, sent General Sanborn 
in pursuit of Price ; and after a severe fight, on the 25th of 
October, the rebels were badly beaten. Generals Marma- 
duke and Cabell were captured ; while Price and his men 




DEATH OF MORGAN. 



fled from Missouri, and never afterward made an attempt 
to enter that State. 

During this summer John Morgan rode again through 
Kentucky, repeating with variations the old story of de- 
struction. At length he entered East Tennessee, where he 
was surprised by a Union force under General Gillem. The 
house in which Morgan had taken refuge was surrounded. 
He ran out to hide in a vineyard near by, when a soldier 
ordered him to halt. Morgan drew his pistol, but before 
he could fire a Union bullet had pierced his heart. 



422 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

In connection with the Red River expedition, it is only 
honest to own that it brought reproach and shame with it. 
The war seemed to develop all that was both good and 
bad in human nature, as thunder-storms bring out of the 
ground both blades of grass and poisonous weeds. While 
earnest, self-sacrificing men and women devoted their lives 
and their money to their country, bad, grasping men used 
the war as only a means of filling their purses. Cotton was 
very dear and scarce ; and a motley company of hangers-on, 
armed with passes, went with Banks's army for the purpose 
of taking, not buying, cotton which did not belong to them. 
In other words, they wished to enrich themselves at the cost 
of hungry women and children, whose protectors were 
known to be absent from them. 

It was such men who manufactured shoes with worthless 
paper soles for the soldiers, and made cloth for them from 
refuse wool, and old rags beaten into shreds, instead of 
honest yarn. This cloth was called "shoddy," which means 
something which appears to be what it really is not. Sincci 
the war, we often hear that word applied to people who make 
a show of something which they do not actually possess. 

While Slierman was advancing upon Meridian, and Banks 
was operating on the Red River, General Gillmore led an 
expedition into Florida. He set sail from Hilton Head on 
the 5 th of February. The Union troops landed at Jackson- 
ville, on the St. John's River, so completely surprising the 
enemy that no resistance was made. They then marched 
to Baldwin, eighteen miles west, where General Gillmore 
left General Seymour in command, and returned to Hilton 
Head. There was an understanding that no farther advance 
should be made at present. Seymour, however, took the 
responsibility of marching into the enemy's country without 
orders and without supplies. On the 19th he encountered 
the Confederates in force. He was obliged to fight on a 



i864.] In Divers and Sundry Places. 423 

battle-ground of the enemy's selection, and was defeated 
with heavy loss, although the troops, both black and white, 
fought nobly. Seymour retreated to Jacksonville, and no 
further active operations were attempted in the interior of 
Florida. 

It was about this time that a rough-looking sergeant who 
had seen hard fighting at the West was recommended for a 
lieutenancy in the regular army. His company officers had 
all been killed ; and his bravery and skill in handling his men 
under fire had inspired the admiration of the officers of his 
regiment, brigade, and division, all of whom joined in the 
recommendation. In worn and tattered uniform he pre- 
sented himself before an Examining Board at Washington. 
Whether they had ever seen service or not, the officers com- 
posing the board were well versed in military tactics. They 
examined him as to engineering, mathematics, philosophy, 
and ordnance ; and not a question could the poor sergeant 
answer. "What is an eclielon ? " was asked. " Don't know," 
he answered. "An abatis ? " was the next question. " Never 
saw one." — " Well, sir, what is a hollow square ? " — " You 
fellows have got me again," said the sergeant sorrowfully. 
"Guess they don't have them out West." — "Well, what 
would you do in command of a company, if the cavalry should 
charge on you ? " — " I'd give them Hail Columbia, that is 
what I'd do," he answered with flashing eyes ; "and I'd make 
a hollow square in every mother's son of 'em." A few more 
questions were asked, but not answered, and the examination 
was closed. The record was sent to Mr. Lincoln with the 
official opinion that the sergeant would not do for an officer. 
The President's secretary read the report to him ; and, when 
he came to the only answer that the sergeant had given, he 
exclaimed, "That's just the sort of men that our army wants ! " 
Taking up his pen, the President wrote on the back of the 
paper, "Give this man a captain's commission. — A. Lincoln^ 



424 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

A PULL ALL TOGETHER. 

ONCE upon a time, just as a class in mathematics was 
assembling in the Military Academy at West Point, 
some of his classmates presented Cadet Grant with a very 
small alarm-clock. A little puzzled by their unusual gener- 
osity perhaps, but quite unsuspicious, he put the thing in 
his pocket. The recitation began, and the innocent victim 
of the plot was solving a knotty problem at the blackboard, 
when,- " Whirr, whirr ! " went the alarm. The guilty rogues 
who had planned the mischief tried to look unconscious. 
The professor was amazed and furious. Young Grant, alone, 
was cool and unembarrassed. In the midst of the confu- 
sion which followed, he stepped quietly to an open window, 
and tossed the clock out, resuming his blackboard exercise 
as if nothing had happened. The presence of mind which 
then served the young cadet had since helped him over 
many hard places, and now fitted the successful general to 
lead others. 

The North clamored loudly for a man at the head of mili- 
tary affairs who should press the advantage already gained, 
and speedily bring the war to a happy ending. Naturally 
all eyes turned toward General Grant, and President Lin- 
coln cheerfully confirmed the people's choice. On the 
afternoon of the 9th of March, therefore, in the presence of 
the cabinet. General Halleck, General Grant's staff, and his 
eldest son, Fred, General Ulysses S. Grant was appointed 




GENERAL GRANT. 



i864.] A Pull All Together. 427 

Commander-in-Chief of all the armies of the United States, 
with the rank of lieutenant-general. General Scott had held 
that grade by brevet ; but he had only retained the "rank, 
pay, and allowance " of a major-general in the regular army. 
The long unused title, which had belonged fully to no one 
but General Washington, was now revived for General Grant. 
Three days later Halleck was relieved, and made chief-of- 
staff to the new lieutenant-general. 

No important military operations marked the beginning 
of the year 1864. North of the Rapidan the white tents of 
the Army of the Potomac clustered around Culpeper Court- 
House, where Grant and Meade made their headquarters. 
On the bluff banks across the river lay the Army of North- 
ern Virginia, watching. ^ 

Early in February, General Butler sent General Wistar 
upon an expedition to attempt the release of the Union pris- 
oners in Richmond. General Meade was absent from the 
army at the time ; but Sedgwick readily seconded his effort, 
.and sent Kilpatrick to assist him. Through an escaped 
prisoner, the secret got out ; so that the raiders were met by 
a superior Confederate force, and driven back. But rumors 
of the miserable condition of Union prisoners continued to 
reach their comrades. It was about this time that Colonel 
Streight made his way out of Libby prison by tunnelling 
with a butcher-knife, and his sufferings may have helped to 
fire the soldiers' hearts. 

On the 28th of February, Kilpatrick again crossed the 
Rapidan, upon the same mission. At Spottsylvania, Colonel 
Ulric Dahlgren, with a hundred followers, left the main force, 
and turned to the right, in order to strike Richmond from 
the south. Kilpatrick advanced rapidly, fighting often. He 
reached the outer fortifications of Richmond, but not hear- 
ing from Dahlgren, and not having enough men to assault 
alone, he withdrew to a safer distance. He was soon at- 



428 YoiiJig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

tacked, and driven back across the Chickahominy. But 
Ulric Dahlgren never came. A negro guide, either acci- 
dentally or purposely, led him the wrong way ; for which 
Dahlgren hung him as soon as the mistake was discovered, 
believing that the man had meant to betray him. Soon 
after Dahlgren had penetrated the outer line of works, he 
was discovered. He was surrounded, but fought his way 
oi)t, and fled toward the Chickahominy. He was hotly pur- 
sued, and killed in a battle on the Mattapony River. When 
a messenger bore the tidings of his son's death to Xenophon, 
the Greek historian, he found the old man wearing a crown 
upon his head. But when he heard the news he dashed the 
crown to his feet in an agony of grief; then, turning to the 
messenger he said, "How did my son die?" — "Fighting 
the foes of his country to the last," was the answer. Upon 
this, the aged father again put the crown upon his head, and 
said, "Then I have no cause to mourn." So might Admiral 
Dahlgren have received the news of the death of his young 
and only son. But twenty-two years of age, brave and 
loyal, Ulric Dahlgren had eagerly hailed the privilege of 
leading his followers to deliver the prisoners at Richmond. 
An attempt was made to justify the cruel insults which the 
rebels heaped upon the poor boy's body after death, by 
charging upon him a conspiracy to burn Richmond and 
murder the Confederate leaders. But the papers which they 
pretended to find upon him were proved to be forgeries. 
Dahlgren's followers were threatened with death, and' only 
the fact that a son of General Lee was a prisoner in the 
Union lines saved their lives. 

No sooner was Grant placed in command than he began 
to lay plans for a final campaign. Like a chess-player, he 
chose a method of attack, and grouped his pieces. The 
moves of his antagonist could only be guessed at, it is true. 
But Grant knew that there were some things which Lee must 



I864.J 



A Pull All Together. 



429 



do, and he meant to force Lee to do others. One thing, 
however, Grant was determined upon. After a series of 
independent operations in their present positions, he would 
unite the armies of the East and West in a grand movement. 
To accompHsh the desired end. Grant ordered an advance 
in every department upon the same day. Promptly at the 
time appointed, Wednesday, May 4, the Army of the Poto- 




mac marched to the Rapidan. Its five corps had been 
reduced to three, commanded by Hancock, Sedgwick, and 
General Gouverneur K. Warren ; Sheridan being in charge 
of the cavalry. When night came they had crossed the 
river, and were once more in the Wilderness, not far from 
Chancellorsville. Lee, well aware of their movements, was 
advancing in force to meet them. His army, numbering 
sixty thousand men, was also divided into three corps, under 
Longstreet, Ewell, and A. P. Hill. Stuart commanded the 
Confederate cavalry. That night Grant and Lee slept only 
three miles apart. 



430 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

It had been Grant's intention to march through the 
Wilderness, to the rear of Lee'^ army, not looking for an 
attack here : so Warren's column had begun to move very 
early on the morning of May 5, when Ewell fell upon 
it with great violence. Sedgwick hastened to Warren's 
relief, taking a gallant part in the battle, that raged until 
four in the afternoon. General Alexander Hayes was killed. 
At nightfall both sides rested on their arms. Neither com- 
mander thought of retreat. During the night Lee was re- 
enforced by the arrival of Longstreet, and Burnside joined 
Grant. At five o'clock the next morning, Friday, the 6th, 
Ewell and Sedgwick swept forward, meeting with a crash. 
Hancock and Hill struck each other soon after, on the 
Union left. Hancock drove Hill back a mile and a half, 
when Lee, seeing the danger, dashed to the head of the 
Confederates, to urge them on. But, fearing for his safety, 
his men refused to move until he retired from the front. 
Most unwillingly Lee withdrew, but his example had done 
its work. The next moment the 'rebels rallied, driving the 
Federals before them. General Wadsworth was mortally 
wounded, falling into the enemy's hands. At the beginning 
of the war he offered his " purse and his person " to the 
Government. Although nearly seventy years of age at that 
time. General Wadsworth had served his country faithfully. 

Longstreet now pressed his troops to the front. The 
fighting was severe, — such fighting as was unknown outside 
of Lidian warfare. Cavalry was almost useless. The trees 
ami undergrowth were so dense, that it required an expert 
rider to keep his seat in the saddle. The ground was piled 
up with the slain. The woods were on fire in many places ; 
and the sulphurous smoke of powder made that hot, close 
atmosphere almost unendurable. Artillery was in the way. 
Men clubbed each other with muskets, often too near to fire. 

At noon Longstreet rode to the front. As he came into 



1864] A Pit I I All Together. 431 

a clearing, he met an old friend, General Jenkins, whom he 
had not seen for years. Supposing them to be Federals, a 
party of Confederates in ambush fired upon them, killing 
Jenkins, and wounding Longstreet. This occurred not six 
miles from the spot where poor " Stonewall " Jackson met 
his death the year previous. Lee then took the field. Han- 
cock, in the mean while, had been throwing up intrench- 
ments, behind which he was resting his troops. Suddenly 
the wind fanned into flame the smoulderino; brush, driving 
the fire upon them. Taking advantage of Hancock's mis- 
fortune, the rebels rushed on him with yells, swarming over 
his parapet, and planting their flag upon it. They were 
gallantly driven back, but not without a sharp fight. It 
must have been then that some brave fellow began to 

sing, — 

" We'll rally round the flag, boys, 
We'll rally once again, 
Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom ! " 

The chorus was caught up by his comrades ; then the next 
regiment in the line joined in the refrain, — 

" The Union, forever ! Hurrah, boys, hurrah ! " 

Until above the roar and din of battle rose the soul-inspiring 
song. 

Just at dark Generals Seymour and Shaler were surprised, 
and with their entire brigades captured, — three thousand in 
all. When night came on. Grant had lost fifteen thousand 
men in killed and wounded. Lee's loss was one-third less. 
The next day nobody seemed to be anxious to begin fight- 
ing. Neither army moved from its position. During the 
day Grant received news that Sherman had advanced toward 
Adanta, and that Butler was on his way from Fortress Mon- 
roe, up the James River, to City Point. This, at least, was 
encouraging. 



432 You7tg Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

Marching-orders had been issued that day, and soon after 
dark the Union army started for Spottsyh'ania Court-House. 
It was Saturday, May 7, only three days after the crossing 
of the Rapidan. Grant and Meade, with a slender escort, 
followed later in the evening. A cavalryman whom they 
met asked where they were going. ''To Spottsylvania," 
was the answer. " I reckon you'll have a scrimmage before 
you get through," he said. "Why?" — " Well, nothin' in 
pertic'ler," was the answer, " except that there are forty or 




SPOTTSYLVANIA 



fifty thousand rebels in front of you, and I reckon there's 
work to be done." The man was right. Suspecting Grant's 
intention, Lee had got ahead of him, reaching the goal first. 
When Grant arrived at Spottsylvania, Lee was in possession 
of a ridge which divides the little hamlet. 

Warren's troops were more than half inclined to run when 
they found themselves under fire, as they entered the town ; 
but Sedgwick soon came to his support, and lines of battle 
were formed in the midst of whizzing bullets. All Monday, 
May 9, was spent in getting ready to fight. In the morning 
General Sedgwick, who was field-commander, noticed that 



I864.J A Pull All TogctJier. 433 

the men winced under the bullets which hailed around 
them. "Pooh, pooh, men!" he said pleasantly. "Why, 
they couldn't hit an elephant at that distance." The men 
laughed ; and Colonel McMahon, chief-of-staff, made some 
remark to the general, but received no answer. He turned, 
and saw the smile fade from Sedgwick's face as he reeled 
backwards ; and, catching the general in his arms, McMahon 
saw that lie was dead. A bullet had pierced his brain. 
General Sedgwick was a good soldier, and well beloved by 
officers and men. Grant felt that his loss was a great mis- 
fortune. Brigadier-General Horatio G. Wright succeeded 
to Sedgwick's command. 

Tuesday, the loth, the batde began at daybreak; and 
although it lasted all day, excepting for an hour it was not 
very severe. It was then that Grant sent the famous de- 
spatch, " I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all 
summer." This message of the commanding general stirred 
the nation, and was echoed in a campaign song, the refrain 
of which was, — 

" We'll fight it out here on the old Union line, 
No odds if it take us all summer." 

The " line " to which Grant referred was one by which he 
could keep his army between Lee and Washington, still 
crowding the enemy toward Richmond. 

Wednesday, the nth, there was more fighting of the same 
kind. Very early on the 12th, before a ray of light had 
streaked the sky, Hancock's corps was noiselessly moved 
toward a weak point in the enemy's lines. The fog was so 
thick, that not a soul could be seen ; and the wet ground 
deadened the sound of the men's feet. Firing no shot, they 
swept over the Confederate pickets. Then, with shouts, 
away they went over the breastworks into the rebel camp, 
where they found the men at breakfast. In spite of their 



434 young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

surprise, however, the Confederates ralHed, and fought brave- 
ly. Hancock captured four thousand prisoners in a twin- 
kling, including the famous " Stonewall Brigade." Generals 
Edward Johnson and George H. Stewart were taken. The 
latter was an old friend of General Hancock. " How are 
you, Stewart?" said the Union commander, offering his 
hand to his former comrade. " I am General Stewart of the 
Confederate army," the prisoner replied ; " and under the 
circumstances I dechne to take your hand." — "And under 
any other circumstances, General," returned Hancock, " I 
should not have offered it." 

Ewell's corps was now in great danger, and Hill and Long- 
street rallied to its rescue. The Confederates made five dis- 
tinct assaults to recover their lost " salient," or angle of 
fortifications, but were every time gallantly repulsed. Grant 
had ordered a general attack to keep them from overwhelm- 
ing Hancock with numbers. With the loss of ten thousand 
on each side, the only point gained was the captured salient, 
which Hancock held to the very end. During the battle. 
General Rice, a brigade commander in the Union army, was 
carried to the rear, mortally wounded. After the surgeon 
had attended to his wounds, he tried to soothe his patient's 
sufferings. The sounds of battle rose and fell on his dull 
ear, and his dim eyes were almost closed in death, when he 
said faintly, "Turn me over." — "Which way?" — "Let me 
die with my face to the enemy," said the dying general. 

On the 2ist of May, Grant took up his line of march for 
the North Anna River ; but, as usual, Lee had guessed his 
intention, and was there before him. After some hard fight- 
ing, Lee allowed Grant to cross at two fords four miles apart, 
and then pushed his own army between the two Union col- 
umns, and Grant was obliged to recross in order to unite 
his divided army. Both Lee and Grant had received re- 
enforcements after the battle of Spottsylvania : so their rela- 



i864.] 



A Pull All Tog^ether. 



435 



tive strength was still the same. In order to reach the White 
House, where Grant wished to establish his base of supply, 
he was forced to make a wide circuit around the enemy. 
He therefore crossed the Pamunkey River at Hanovertown, 
fifteen miles from Richmond, and moved his wagon-train to 
the White House. Lee, thus released, quickly fell back to- 
ward Richmond. 

Nearly a month before, when Grant reached Spottsylvania, 
he had hurried Sheridan off to cut Lee's communication with 




Richmond. Sheridan first made a feint of going in another 
direction ; but scarcely had he turned around to go upon 
his real errand when General " Jeb " Stuart was at his heels. 
Sheridan, nevertheless, managed to destroy several miles of 
railway and "rolling-stock," as we sometimes call cars and 
locomotives. He also seized and freed four hundred Union 
prisoners on their way to rebel prisons. Near Richmond he 
encountered Stuart in a sharp battle, in which the latter was 
mortally wounded. Another commander so skilful and so dar- 
ing would be hard to find in the Confederate military family, 



43^ Young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1864. 



and Stuart's loss was deeply felt. . Sheridan caryed the first 
line of fortifications before Richmond, as others had done ; 
but, like them, he was repulsed at the second. He therefore 
recrossed the Chickahominy, and returned to the main army. 
On the 31st of May, by a bold dash, Sheridan captured 
Cold Harbor, or, as it is sometimes called, " Cool Arbor," 



and held it against great odds. 



The Union army was already on the north bank of the 
Chickahominy. Grant wished to cross near Cold Harbor; 

but in order to do 
so he must dislodge 
Lee, who lay in his 
path. He therefore 
sent Wright with the 
Sixth Corps to assist 
Sheridan in holding 
his position. At the 
same time a force of 
sixteen thousand 
men, which had ar- 
rived from Butler's 
army, was also or- 
dered to Sheridan's 
relief. The enemy 
was likewise re-enforced by troops under Breckinridge. On 
the afternoon of June 1, Wright and W. F. Smith attacked 
the Confederates, taking six hundred prisoners ; but they 
could not drive Lee beyond his first line of works, nor could 
Lee retake Cold Harbor. Grant then determined to force a 
passage across the Chickahominy. At half-past four on the 
morning of June 3 the whole strength of both armies stood 
"n battle-array. Each side had thrown up such rude breast- 
works as the soldiers could make with the material at hand, 
often using their tin cups for tools. The Federals made a 




i864.] A Pull All Together. 437 

bold and sudden assault. The Confederates grimly received 
it behind their intrenchments with a sheet of flame. In 
fifteen minutes Barlow alone lost one-third of his division. 
In an hour the Army of the Potomac had been repulsed 
again, leaving thirteen thousand on the battle-field. Lee 
had suffered far less than Grant in this engagement. 

The Unionists had another misfortune about this time. 
General George Crook was to advance up the Kanawha Val- 
ley in West Virginia while Sigel went up the Shenandoah 
Valley from Winchester. Both expeditions had failed. 
Breckinridge had defeated Sigel, and John Morgan had 
upset Crook's plans. Later, however, early in June, General 
David Hunter relieved Sigel, and in the battle of Piedmont, 
June 5, whipped the Confederates. Encouraged by this. 
Hunter and Crook met at Staunton, and together they 
undertook to capture Lynchburg. Lee, as usual, guessed 
this plan, and sent a strong garrison to defend Lynchburg : 
so Hunter did not venture to make the attack. To save his 
army, he retreated beyond the mountains, into West Vir- 
ginia, leaving the Shenandoah Valley unprotected. 

For ten days after the batde of Cold Harbor, the two 
armies remained opposite each other, so near as to be within 
rifle-range. Skirmishing was kept up every day except one, 
when under flag of truce they buried the dead. As Lee 
would not move. Grant was obhged to take the first step. 
Once more the Army of the Potomac wearily marched 
through the Chickahominy swamps, and crossed the James 
River near Malvern Hills, where McClellan had fought such 
a desperate battle two years before. There must have been 
good steel in that Army of the Potomac, neither to rust nor 
to wear out, for both had been tried. Lee had not looked 
for this movement on Grant's part, but supposed that he was 
going directly to Richmond : so Lee fell back within the 
lines of the Confederate capital. 



7^' 



43 8 Young Folks' History of the Civil Wa7\ [1864. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

DEEDS, NOT WORDS. 

A GLANCE at your map will show you the city of 
Petersburg, twenty-two miles south of Richmond, on 
the right bank of the xAppomattox River. It was the junc- 
tion of several lines of railway over which the Confederates 
brought their supplies ; yet, up to the spring of 1864, 
neither side had seemed to consider it worth liaving, as the 
Federals had made no effort to take it, and the Confederates 
had not kept it strongly garrisoned. On the loth of June, 
Butler undertook to capture Petersburg, and failed. Five 
days later, when General Smith returned from the battle of 
Cold Harbor, he renewed the attack, with partial success. 
He carried the outer works, and captured six hundred pris- 
oners and fifteen guns. Unfortunately, however, although 
he was re-enforced by Hancock, Smith did not press his 
advantage that night. Beauregard made the most of the 
time thus gained. Fresh troops were hurried to Petersburg 
from Richmond. The long hours of that moonlight night 
were spent by the rebels in throwing up another Hne of 
earthworks around the city ; the men using bayonets, cups, 
and even their hands, for tools. The Federals had lost their 
opportunity. Indeed, it seemed to be putting things off 
which lay at the bottom of most of the failures. Well, 
Smith assaulted Petersburg the next day, June 16. The 
greater part of both armies were by this time engaged. The 
fighting continued till the evening of the i8th : then Grant 



1864. J 



Deeds, not Words. 



439 



gave up the struggle, and began a regular siege. It had 
been a bloody battle. One night of delay had cost the 
armies of the Potomac and the James nearly ten thousand 
men. So long as their garrisons could be fed, neither Peters- 
burg nor Richmond was in danger of capture. During the 
siege, which lasted ten months, but two attempts were made 




ARMY-CORPS CHAPEL NEAR PETERSBURG. 



to carry Petersburg by assault. The first was suggested by 
one of Burnside's men, who had been a miner in the Penn- 
sylvania coal-regions. Meade agreed to his plan, and the 
work began. The month of Jtily was spent in digging a 
mine, or tunnel, from a point in the Federal lines under a fort 
within the enemy's works. Proper tools were not to be had ; 
and cracker-boxes were used to take the earth out of the 



I40 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

trench, which was five hundred and twenty feet long, four feet 
and a half wide, and the same hi height. Under the fort 
this gallery branched in opposite directions, thirty-five feet 
each way. In these were placed eight magazines filled with 
gunpowder, connected with each other by means of fuzes, 
and extending to the mouth of the main shaft. As soon as 
all was ready, Hancock made a feint on the north side of 
the James, and Lee withdrew a part of his force from Peters- 
burg, believing Richmond to be threatened. The signal was 
given at half-past three, on the afternoon of July 30. The 
fuze was lighted. An hour passed, yet no sound was heard. 
Then two courageous fellows crept into the mine, and found 
that the fuze was broken. They joined it, lighted it again, 
and had only just made their escape when the crash came. 
The next moment a yawning chasm two hundred feet long, 
fifty feet wide, and sixty feet deep, swallowed up the fort 
and its garrison. The Union batteries opened at the same 
instant, and the Union troops dashed into the mouth of the 
crater. Then came a moment of hesitation and wavering, 
which turned the solid ranks into a disordered mob. For 
half an hour the enemy was paralyzed by the shock ; and that 
was time enough to win a glorious victory, if all had gone 
well. It had been long enough for the enemy to recover 
breath. Rebel artillery and infantry were quickly disposed 
for defence. Every attempt to carry the slope by assault 
was defeated. At last the rebel guns were turned upon the 
struggling mass of Union troops in the crater. The mine 
had failed. Four thousand victims swelled the Union loss 
in Virginia. General Burnside asked to be relieved, and the 
Ninth Corps was placed under the command of General John 
G. Parke. The Confederates still held Petersburg with its 
lines of railway. During August, Meade seized and held 
the Weldon Railroad, by which the greater part of Lee's sup- 
plies were brought to Petersburg. A short line was built, 



i864.] Deeds, not Words. 441 

connecting the VVeldon Railway with Grant's own depot of 
suppHes at City Point. 

All this while General Butler's colored troops had been 
digging the Dutch Gap Canal across a sharp bend in the 
James to save going around the long curve. Just as it was 
finished, an accident occurred which threw the earth back 
into the channel again. As a Confederate battery com- 
manded the work, it had to be given up. 

During that summer, at City Point, a member of the Chris- 
tian Commission, on hospital duty, found time to teach the 
colored people to read. One day an old negro, whose un- 
used eyes found it hard to keep the letters separate, drew his 
sleeve across his face, dripping with perspiration after a strug- 
gle with the alphabet, and said with a comical grin, " Massa, 
dis yer do make me sweat ! " There were a great many agents 
of the Sanitary and Christian Commissions about, and one 
day the guard mistook a stranger who approached for one of 
them. " No sanitary folks allowed inside." — " I guess Gen- 
*eral Grant will see me," the visitor replied. "I can't let you 
pass, but I'll send him your name. What is it?" — "Abra- 
ham Lincoln." The guard dropped his musket, and, giving 
the military salute, allowed the President to pass. 

Since Hunter's retreat, there had been no Union force 
in the Shenandoah Valley. The undefended side of tl 1 
capital, therefore, invited a rebel invasion. Lee was qui< k 
to take in the situation, and sent Early with a force of twenty 
thousand men down the Shenandoah Valley. The troops 
marched rapidly in spite of hot weather. On the 3d of July 
they reached Martinsburg, driving out the garrison under 
Sigel, who retreated across the Potomac. Three days later 
Early arrived at Hagerstown. He destroyed the Baltimore 
and Ohio Railroad, and cut the Ohio and Chesapeake Canal. 
General Wallace, who was at Baltimore, took position on 
the Monocacy River, hoping to cover Washington until the 



442 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

arrival of re-enforcements, which he knew were coming. But 
on the 9th the Confederates came up, and assaulted Wallace 
with double his number. When the Federals could hold 
out no longer, they fled to Baltimore. Colonel Harry Gil- 
mor took advantage of the approach of the rebels to seize 
railroad-trains between Philadelphia and Baltimore, and to 
rob the mails and passengers. General Franklin was taken, 
but made his escape while his captors slept. Early then 
moved straight toward Washington. On the night of the 
loth of July he rested ten miles from the city. The next 
day he had reached the outer hne of fortifications. But a 
body of troops, under Generals Wright and Emory, reached 
Washington at the same time, by way of the Potomac. As 
the veterans landed, the welcome form of the President 
greeted them. He had a kind word for everybody, and a 
bright smile made his plain face beautiful. He was eating 
some " hard tack ; " for he had missed his dinner that day, 
that he might enjoy the pleasure of receiving them. The 
soldiers cheered till the echoes rang. As they marchect 
through the streets, they were welcomed with the cry, " It is 
the old Sixth Corps that took Marye's Hill ! " 

The next day (July 12), a smart skirmish took place, 
after which Early retreated, but took with him five thousand 
horses and two thousand cattle. Wright quickly followed, 
overtaking him at the Shenandoah River. About the same 
time the Confederates were defeated by Averill in a battle 
at Winchester. Wright's troops were then ordered back to 
Petersburg, and Hunter again came into the valley. Crook, 
supposing that Early was out of the way, went up the valley 
at the same time. At Kearnstown he came upon the Con- 
federates, who drove him back with heavy loss. Colonel 
Mulligan, the hero of the siege of Lexington, was killed 
while gallantly leading a charge. As he fell, some of his 
men tried to carry him off the field. Seeing his colors in 



i854.] Deeds ^ not Woi^ds. 443 

danger, he cried, " Lay me down, and save the flag ! " He 
died in the enemy's hands. 

Seeing that the way was open, after Crook recrossed 
the Potomac, Early made another destructive raid in the 
North. He reached Chambersburg, Penn., on the 30th, 
and demanded a ransom for the town of two hundred thou- 
sand dollars in gold. . As it was impossible to raise that 
amount, he ordered Colonel Harry Gilmor to set fire to 
the place. In an hour two-thirds of the thriving city of 
Chambersburg was in ashes. Early then hurried across the 
Potomac, and after a sharp skirmish at Cumberland he got 
away into Virginia. 

Grant now determined to put a stop to rebel invasions, 
and in order to do it he felt it necessary to place one man 
at the head of all the forces in the Shenandoah Valley. 
General Hunter was not sorry to be relieved, and the choice 
fell upon General Philip H. Sheridan. On the 7th of 
August, Sheridan assumed command of the new Army of 
the Shenandoah, numbering thirty-six thousand men. He 
took a strong position at Harper's Ferry, where the next fort- 
night was spent in preparations to attack the Confederates. 
People began to get impatient to hear from him ; and even 
Grant went to see Sheridan, and hurry him up. Sheridan 
was untiring in his study of his surroundings. It is said that 
whenever he fell asleep, day or night, he had a map in his 
hand or by his side. He organized a body of scouts to give 
information concerning the enemy's numbers and move- 
ments. An old colored man lived about fifteen miles from 
headquarters, who had a pass to sell vegetables in Winches- 
ter three times a week. As Early was on the west bank of 
the Opequan Creek, not far from Winchester, the young 
Commander thought that the old negro might be of service 
to him. General Crook had given Sheridan the name of 
Mr. Amos M. Wright, as a loyal and trustworthy Unionist in 



444 Young Fof^' Histoiy of the Civil War. [1864. 

Winchester. His eldest daughter, Miss Rebecca L. Wright, 
was also mentioned to the general, as one devoted to the 
Union, and to her Sheridan decided to appeal for aid. At 
midnight two scouts brought the old vegetable man to Sheri- 
dan's tent ; and, after some other questions, he was asked if 
he knew Miss Wright. He did know her, and agreed to 
carry to her a letter, written upon tissue-paper, and rolled up 
in tin-foil, which he must hide in his capacious mouth. He 
was to deliver the letter privately, with a hint of its impor- 
tance, and to bring an answer on the next market-day. In 
case of capture, he was to chew and swallow the precious 
morsel. The colored man was returned to his home. The 
next day Sheridan wrote the letter to Miss Wright, appeal- 
ing to her love for the " old flag" to give him all the infor- 
mation concerning the enemy which she could obtain. A 
trusty scout took it to Winchester, and delivered it to the 
vegetable man. The next day Miss Wright received it safely. 
In return, she sent two letters at different times, bearing im- 
portant news, and at length the third, of still greater value ; 
an;i it was for this last that Sheridan waited before attacking 
Early. It gave the information, that Early had weakened 
his force by sending Kershaw's division to Richmond ; and 
Sheridan resolved to fall upon Winchester without delay. 

On the morning of the 19th of September he crossed the 
Opequan River, and the battle began. Sheridan's attack was 
energetic and well sustained, and Early's defence was heroic. 
Up to three o'clock in the afternoon the batde had been equal. 
Crook's corps was then brought into action, and Emory's 
- corps sprang from the ground where it had been lying. 
Cavalry and infantry swept over the field, and drove the 
enemy before them. Away fled Early, through Winchester, 
to Fisher's Hill, twelve miles distant. 

^Vh':n the battle w^as over, Sheridan sought the house of 
Mr. Wright, on the main street of Winchester. In the little 



1864.] Deeds, not Words. 447 

schoolroom of Miss Rebecca, and sitting at her desk, Sheri- 
dan wrote this message to General Grant : " W'e have just 
sent them whirling through Winchester, and we are after them 
to-morrow. This army behaved splendidly." Then he took 
Miss Wright's hand, and thanked her for her courage and 
loyalty. He afterward wrote of her, "The battle of Win- 
chester at the Opequan was fought and won upon informa- 
tion received by me from this young lady." 

A victory had been won at last. Sheridan did not stop to 
exult, but kept right on in hot pursuit. On the 2 2d he 
attacked the rebels in front of their position at Fisher's 
Hill, which resulted in a Federal success.. Early was 
routed again, with a loss of eleven hundred prisoners. Night 
and day, Sheridan pursued him, through Harrisonburg, 
Staunton, and the Blue-Ridge gaps, having captured nearly 
half of Early's army at the end of a week. 

The rich and fertile Shenandoah Valley would always 
tempt the Confederate army, and Grant determined to lay 
it waste. It seemed a cruel measure ; but the people in 
the valley were ready to assist every Confederate expedition, 
so long as they had the means. So Sheridan destroyed 
barns filled with hay and grain, mills, farming-utensils, cattle 
and slieep. " The land was as the garden of Eden before 
them, and behind them a desolate wilderness." 

In the mean time Early was re-enforced from Lee's army, 
and returned to Fisher's Hill. On the i8th of October, 
Sheridan was posted at Cedar Creek, facing south. Soon 
after midnight. Early began to steal a march upon the 
Union army. Every thing depended upon secrecy, and all 
precautions were taken to secure it. Canteens even were 
left behind, for fear that their rattling should betray the men 
as they crept cautiously upon the Union camp. The first 
rays of dawn were just streaking tlie sky, when with wild 
yells the Confederates charged, — in front, flank, and rear. 



448 Yo7i?ig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864, 

In fifteen minutes Crook's sleeping soldiers were routed. 
The first line was carried, and the Sixth Corps alone stood 
its ground. Wright was wounded, but refused to leave the 
field. Stoutly resisting the enemy, he covered the Federal 
retreat toward Winchester. 

Sheridan had slept at Winchester that night, on his return 
from Washington. He heard the sound of battle, and has- 
tened toward it to meet his own army in the full flight which 
told of defeat. Swinging his old hat, he cried, " Face 
about ! P\ace about, boys ! We're all right. We'll whip 
them yet ! We'll sleep in our old quarters to-night ! " 
Cheer after cheer greeted their leader, as the fugitives 
quickly turned toward the battle-field again. On he rode, 
as fast as his jet-black horse could carry him. 

" He dashed down the line mid a storm of hurrahs ; 
And the wave of retreat checked its course there, because 
The sight of the master compelled it to pause." 

One more charge, and the war in the Shenandoah Valley 
was ended. Early was whipped. His army became a mob, 
and took to the hills and open fields. Each army had lost 
heavily in this campaign, — Early, twenty-three thousand; 
and Sheridan, seventeen thousand men. 

Early was never heard from but once again during the 
war, when a body of troops which he led were captured, 
and Lee immediately relieved him from all command. 




GENERAL SHERIDAN IN THE VALLEY. 



i864.] Among the Moiuitains. 451 



CHAPTER XXX. 

'' IF ONE WISHES A THING DONE WELL, LET HIM DO 
IT HIMSELF." 

BY the beginning of May, General Sherman was all ready 
to move. Having succeeded to Grant's old command 
of the Military Division of the Mississippi, Sherman was 
responsible for all the armies within that district. He there- 
fore paid a visit to each of his three army commanders, and 
explained to them his plans and wishes. General James B. 
McPherson had taken Sherman's place at the head of the 
Army of the Tennessee. To General John M. Schofield 
had been given the Army of the Ohio ; and General Thomas 
remained with the Army of the Cumberland, at Chattanooga. 
The most thorough preparations were made for a campaign 
in which both officers and men resolved to compel success. 
To the staff of every general competent civil engineers were 
attached, whose duties were to construct bridges, repair roads, 
and to furnish accurate information and maps of the coun- 
try through which the army must pass. A telegraph-corps 
accompanied the expedition, carrying its own wires and 
instruments, but depending upon the forest-trees for the 
necessary poles. There was also a signal-corps for the pur- 
pose of communicating by means of flags or lights. Allow- 
ing but the smallest amount of necessary baggage, the 
wagon-train for such an army must be immense. The com- 
manding general was strict in his orders to cut down the 
amount of personal baggage ; and he set an example of sac- 



452 Young Folks' History of the Civil War, 11864- 

rifice of comfort by carrying no tent for himself, except such 
slight shelter as was allowed to every soldier. 

His storehouses at Chattanooga were bursting with food 
for his soldiers. His ranks were full, and Sherman only 
awaited marching-orders. But, before the tramp of a hun- 




PATRIOT ORPHAN HOME. 



dred thousand men falls upon our ears, let us spread out our 
map, and see what enemies they were likely to meet. 

Behind a range of mountains which lies to the south-east 
of Chattanooga is the town of Dalton, Ga. Here, intrenched 
in a deep gorge of Rocky Face Mountain, lay the Confed- 
erate army. The gap is known as Buzzard's Roost, and 
between its rugged sides flows Mill Creek. The rebel posi- 
tion was strong ; and General J. E. Johnston had succeeded 
Bragg in command, so that Sherman felt that he had to 



1864.] Among the Mountains. 453 

deal with a foeman ''worthy of his steel." Johnston's army 
commanders were Hardee, Hood, and Polk ; and his force 
was about sixty thousand men. 

On Thursday, May 5, Sherman's army started for Atlanta. 
On the 7th and 8th Thomas and Schofield made an attempt 
to force the pass of Rocky Face ; but Hardee led the rebel 
troops in person, and easily held the crest against superior 
numbers. The affair of Buzzard's Roost, however, was not 
Sherman's chief business in hand. While the main army 
was pressing the enemy in front, McPherson had moved up 
Snake Creek Valley, intending to surprise Resaca, in John- 
ston's rear. Unfortunately, however, McPherson thought it 
too strong to attack, and fell back to Snake Creek Gap to 
wait for re-enforcements. But the opportunity was gone. 
Johnston had heard of Sherman's flank movement ; and on 
the night of May 12 he withdrew from Dalton to Resaca, 
where, two days later, Sherman attacked him. Skirmishing 
was kept up the first day; but during the second, the 15th, 
the fighting was sharp and continuous. That night John- 
ston retreated across the Oostangula and Etowah Rivers, 
burnt his bridges behind him, and took a strong position 
behind Allatoona Pass. Sherman knew that region of the 
country too well to sacrifice his men by an attempt to force 
that stronghold when he could just as well get it by strategy. 
Bridges were quickly rebuilt, and preparations were made 
for an immediate advance. One day a heavy storm swept 
over the Union camp at Resaca, unroofing buildings and 
doing great damage» Finally the lightning set fire to the 
tow in which some shells were packed. The bravest soldiers 
were filled with dismay, and either ran away or lay down upon 
the ground to escape certain death. Only one stout-hearted 
fellow seemed to have his senses. Climbing to the top of the 
pile, he seized the burning tow ; and, holding it up, he cried, 
" No fireworks this time, boys ; " and the danger was past. 



454 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

Sherman next marched straight on Dallas, Ga. Near 
Dallas, at New Hope Church, l^e encountered the enemy in 
force, where a stubborn battle was fought, in which both 
entire armies were engaged, and which lasted from the 25th 
of May till the ist of June, with scarcely a breathing spell. 
The Confederates held their ground ; but, in order to do so, 
Johnston was forced to evacuate Allatoona Pass. Sherman 
was satisfied to accomplibh here the object which he had 
aimed to reach at Dallas. Continued heavy rains made the 
roads almost impassable. The wild and beautiful country 
in which the two armies were engaged was certainly not 
meant for soldiering ; yet for a month they had fought a 
battle, great or small, nearly every day. The struggle at 
New Hope Church had been a drawn battle, as neither had 
surrendered ; but it had given Sherman advantage of posi- 
tion. Johnston then withdrew to Kenesaw, Lost, and Pine 
Mountains ; and Sherman pressed his lines still closer upon 
him. 

One morning a regiment passed Sherman's bivouac, and 
saw him lying asleep by the roadside. One of the men, 
supposing him to be intoxicated, exclaimed, "That is the 
way we are commanded, — officered by drunken major-gen- 
erals ! " Sherman heard the remark, and, springing up, said 
pleasantly, " Not drunk, my boy ; but I was up all night, 
and I am very tired and sleepy." The next time Sherman 
rode past that regiment, he was received with cheers. 

General Jeff. C. Davis had in the mean time captured 
Rome, and secured possession of its guns and stores. He 
also destroyed its founderies and mills for the manufacture 
of Confederate ordnance and ammunition. 

The three mountain peaks which Johnston now occupied 
lay to the left and north of Marietta, — Kenesaw nearest. 
Lost Mountain to the west farther still, and Pine Mountain 
about halfway between the two but farther north, like the 



i864.] Among the Mountains. 455 

three balls over a pawnbroker's shop. By the 12th of June 
a strong Union force held AUatoona Pass, the Etowah had 
been bridged again, and " the whistle of a locomotive was 
heard at Big Shanty, notifying friend and foe that Sher- 
man's supplies were now close in the rear of his line." 
Sherman's losses had been made up to him by the arrival 
of Blair's troops. The Union army was in position, and an 
advance was ordered. On the 14th Generals Johnston, 
Hardee, and Polk were on Pine Mountain, where General 
Polk was killed by a shot from a Federal gun. Johnston 
and Hardee had seen the shell and avoided it ; but Polk, 
slower in his movements, was unable to get out of its way. 
General Polk's body was taken to Atlanta, where funeral 
services were held. Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church, lieutenant-general in the Confederate army, and 
brother of a former President of the E'nited States, his loss 
was deeply felt. General S. D. Lee was given General 
Polk's command. 

The next day Johnston abandoned Pine Mountain. Lost 
Mountain was then given up. It is understood, that, with 
such antagonists as Johnston and Sherman, not a single 
point was yielded by either, without fighting. As fast as 
Johnston retreated, Sherman pushed his army into the aban- 
doned position. On the 25th of June, Johnston covered 
Marietta, and held Kenesaw, " the key to the whole coun- 
try." Two days later Sherman assaulted the enemy in his 
intrenched position. Officers and men behaved with heroic 
bravery in the bloody battle, in which the Federals were 
repulsed. The Union general Harker was killed, and Gen- 
eral D. McCook was wounded. Sherman now determined 
upon another flank movement, which his quick-witted enemy 
guessed, warily falling back to Marietta. Before dawn on 
the morning of the 3d of July the Union pickets flung out 
the starry banner from the crest of Kenesaw, for the rebels 



456 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

had fled toward the Chattahoochee River. Sherman took 
possession of Marietta the same morning. Johnston had 
evidently anticipated his own retreat ; for he had ordered a 
" strongly intrenched camp prepared on the Chattahoochee, 
cov^ering the railway-crossing and his pontoon-bridges." 
Sherman was therefore obliged to content himself with 
strategy ; and, while making a feint below the rebel lines, he 
seized a good crossing above, and fortified it. For more 
than thirty miles the north bank of the Chattahoochee bris- 
tled with bayonets. So near were the two lines, that even 
the commanding Union general came near being captured ; 
and Colonel Frank Sherman rode placidly into the enemy's 
camp, supposing it to be that of Thomas. Colonel Sher- 
man was taken to Atlanta, and the rebels thought at first 
that they had cauglit General Sherman himself. 

During the manth of June, Sherman's army had lost 
about two hundred men a day : the Confederates had suf- 
fered even more severely. By the 9th of July, Johnston 
had crossed the river, and fallen back to Atlanta, eight 
miles distant. Sherman already held the railway from Chat- 
tanooga to the rear of his camp, at Vining Station, with 
entire possession of the west bank of the Chattahoochee. 
He wished to break the lines between Johnston and his 
supplies. To do this, Sherman sent General Rousseau with 
a large body of cavalry into Alabama. Starting at Decatur 
on the 9th, Rousseau dashed through Opelika, and, after 
destroying twenty miles of railway, turned to Marietta. 
On the 1 7th of July, Sherman put his army once more in 
motion. Near Decatur he learned that General John B. 
Hood had relieved Johnston in the command of tlie rebel 
army. Hood's reputation for fighting was so well known, 
that Sherman sent word to every division commander to 
be always ready for a battle. On the 20th, at noon, while 
the Federals were resting with stacked arms. Hood's troops 



i864.] 



Among the Mount ai7is. 



457 



poured ont of their intrenchments, and fell upon them. 
The enemy was handsomely repulsed, but with heavy loss, 
Hooker's corps having been badly cut up. The enemy's 
dead and wounded numbered four thousand. The Union 
lines were closing around Atlanta. On the morning of July 
2 2 the outer works to the north and east were abandoned. 



'-i.-^v 








DEATH OF MC'PHERSON. 



That morning, Sherman was wakened by the sound of bat- 
tle too far to the rear to be accounted for, which finally 
grew to a steady roar. General McPherson offered to go to 
see what was tlie matter, and with his staff he rode away. 
The firing came nearer in the mean time. As Sherman was 
impatiently pacing up and down the piazza of the Howard 
House, where his headquarters were, one of McPherson's 



458 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

staff rode rapidly up, and told him that McPherson was 
either killed or a prisoner; f(5r his horse had come back 
covered 'with blood. A few minutes after leaving Sherman, 
McPherson had crossed the railroad track ; and. finding that 
the rebels had attacked his rear, he had sent the members 
of his staff in different directions with various orders. Then 
with an orderly he had taken a wood-road, unaware that he 
was in the enemy's lines. An instant later he met a party 
of Confederates, who called upon him to halt. McPherson 
bowed politely and raised his hat as he turned his horse to 
ride away. Upon this, the rebels fired, killing McPherson 
instantly. His orderly. Jack Thompson, was wounded, and 
taken prisoner. George Reynolds, himself wounded, brought 
the news of McPherson 's death to Colonel William E. Strong 
of the general's staff. Securing an ambulance, they went 
to the spot where McPherson lay, and, placing his body 
in the ambulance, drove out of the enemy's lines " on the 
keen run." The general's watch, hat. sword-belt, field-glass, 
and papers were already gone. They were recovered, how- 
ever, from prisoners who were taken soon after. Captains 
Gile and Steele of McPherson's staff took his body home 
to his mother in Clyde, O. General Sherman thus makes 
tender mention of his dead general, " History tells us of 
but few who so blended the grace and gentleness of friend 
with the dignity, courage, faith, and manliness of the soldier." 

To young Reynolds was given, in the presence of his 
regiment under arms, the ''gold medal of honor of the 
Seventeenth Corps," for his bravery and his kindness to 
General McPherson. 

General O. O. Howard succeeded to McPherson's com- 
mand. Like Schofield and Thomas, he was conscientious, 
free from jealousy, brave, and efficient. Hooker asked to 
be relieved when Howard was gi\en the right wing : so the 
Twentieth Corps fell to General H. W. Slocum. 



i864.] Among- the Mountains. 459 

The firing which had cost McPherson's Hfe proved to be 
more than a skirmish, lasting till four in the afternoon, and 
ending in Hood's repulse. Hood then withdrew to his in- 
trencl^ments inside the city, and Sherman " closed in." The 
Macon Railway was the only line by which the Confederate 
army was now supplied, and Sherman determined to destroy 
that. He sent McCook and Stoneman, with nearly nine 
thousand cavalry for that purpose, and moved General 
Howard's army around to the right to threaten the same 
road. The cavalry accomplished nothing of importance ; 
while Stoneman, and those of his command who had not 
already fled or been killed, were taken prisoners. Hood 
then fiercely attacked Howard at Ezra Church. Logan's 
corps sustained the brunt of the battle for four hours, but at 
last succeeded in driving the rebels into their own intrench- 
ments. " Half a dozen such battles," says a military writer, 
"would have left Hood without an army." 

"Well, Johnny, how many are there left of you?" said a 
Federal picket, after the battle, to a rebel on duty. " Oh ! 
about enough for another killing," returned the Confederate 
grimly. 

The siege of Atlanta now fairly began. During the month 
of August the Union army kept " hammering away " night 
and day. With plenty of wood, water, and provisions, the 
men were very comfortable, making for themselves huts to 
keep off the scorching sun. 

In the mean time Kilpatrick's cavalry was sent to strike a 
final blow at the Macon Railroad. In four days the work 
was done, and the rebel supplies were stopped. Then Sher- 
man marched his army off to Jonesborough, on the Macon 
Railroad. At first Hood was joyful, and telegraphed the 
good news to Richmond, that the " Yankees " were gone. 
But he soon saw that Sherman meant to destroy his com- 
munications and compel him to come out of his trenches : 



460 Yottng Folks' Histoiy of the Civil War. [1864. 

so he attacked Howard again, only to be repulsed. On the 
night of Sept. i Hood blew up^liis arsenals and magazines. 
At daylight Slocum's corps of the Union army marched into 
Adanta unopposed, for Hood's troops had left the city and 
were well on their way to Macon. Sherman telegraphed to 
Mr. Lincoln, " Atlanta is ours and fairly won." The mes- 
sage was welcomed with wildest demonstrations of joy by 
all loyal people. Bells were rung, and every town that owned 
a cannon fired a salute. In the four months of the Atlanta 
campaign, Sherman had won a glorious victory at the cost 
of thirty-one thousand men. On the other hand, Hood's 
army was still at large ; but he could ill afford to spare the 
thirty-five thousand men whom he had lost. The city of 
Atlanta was the trading and manufacturing centre of the 
South, having a population of twenty thousand. It contained 
numerous workshops, mills, and founderies for the manufac- 
ture of guns and ammunition, as well as factories for wagons, 
clothing, and shoes for the Confederate army. Of course, 
those employed in these industries were disloyal to the 
Union ; and, as Sherman determined to convert Atlanta into 
a military post, he ordered the removal of the entire popula- 
tion for the safety of his own army. A copy of the " Atlanta 
Appeal" for July 18 contained the following advertisement, 
of interest because it was one of the last of its kind ever 
published in that city. 

$300 REWARD! 
Will be paid for the apprehension and delivery of the GIRL ALICE, 
who ran away on the nth. She weighs about one hundred and fifty 
pounds, has a round, full face, wavy hair, and has a feeble and de- 
pressed voice when spoken to. Her color is a medium or light-brown 
mulatto. Those who arrest her will deliver her to the City Marshal. 

A. J. Riddle 

Not long after the occupation of Atlanta, Sherman de- 
tected signs of another rebel invasion. Garrisons had been 



i864.] Among tJie Mojintains. 461 

left at all the places lately captured, but they would not be 
strong enough to resist either Hood or Forrest. Thomas 
was therefore hurried back to Tennessee, while General John 
M. Corse was to guard the railway north of the Etowah. 
These precautions were not taken a minute too soon, for 
Hood attacked Allatoona Pass on the 5th of October. That 
day Sherman reached Kenesaw Mountain, from which he 
signalled Corse at Rome tb hasten to Allatoona ; for even 
then a line of smoke a,nd the distant booming of guns told 
that the battle had begun. For a long time the smoke at 
x^llatoona hid the signal-flags on Kenesaw from view. At 
last, however, they, spelled out the words, " Hold the fort, 
for I am coming ! " Soon the anxious watchers on Kene- 
saw made out the reply, " C," '' R.," " S.," " E.," ''H.," 
" E.," "R." (Corse is here). As soon as Sherman made 
out the word " Corse," he exclaimed, " If Corse is there, 
he will hold it. I know the man ! " That was a reputation 
worth having, but not better than Corse and his little army 
deserved ; for, in the long hours of the 5th of October, 
Allatoona lost half of its defenders. Although Corse was 
wounded in the face at noon, he held out all day, and 
whipped Hood soundly. The next day he sent word to 
Sherman that he was " short a cheek and an ear ; " but he 
could whip the enemy yet. After his repulse at Allatoona, 
Hood pushed on to the northward, threatening Kingston 
and Rome ; but as Sherman was so near he did not venture 
upon an attack. When at last Sherman saw that Hood really 
meant to go into Tennessee, he ceased to follow ; for Sher- 
man thought, rightly, that it would be safe to " leave Hood 
to Thomas." 



462 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 

IT was the first, of November before Hood and Sherman 
parted company. Hood was sure that Sherman would 
pursue, and therefore did not consider what the conse- 
quences would be in that case. Sherman, on the other 
hand, was equally sure that Thomas was a match for Hood, 
and was very glad to have Hood cross the Tennessee River, 
and move northward. Forrest, who had been checked in 
his operations in West Tennessee, now turned to assist Hood, 
making the Confederate force forty thousand strong. By 
the middle of November, Hood's whole army was rapidly 
approaching Nashville, and Sherman had turned back to 
Atlanta. 

Thomas had about thirty thousand men in Nashville, and 
as many more scattered here and there at various posts. 
Schofield immediately gathered these latter troops, and 
upon Hood's approach fell back with this army toward 
Nashville. On the way, at dead of night, tlie Union army 
passed, without being discovered, within half a mile of the 
Confederate bivouac at Spring Hill. When it reached 
Franklin, eighteen miles south of Nashville, Schofield got 
his trains safely over the Harpeth River ; but the fords were 
in such condition, that, before his army could follow, the 
enemy overtook him. Hood attacked Schofield on the 
afternoon of Nov. 30. Hie battle, which lasted from four 
in the afternoon till dark, was a hard struggle and became 



78b4' 



Marching through Georgia. 



463 



at last a hand-to-hand encounter. For a while all seemed 
lost, but at the word of command Opdyke's brigade reso- 
lutely and swiftly charged the enemy and saved the day. 
The Confederates were driven back ; and in the night Scho- 
field crossed the river, and joined Thomas at Nashville. 

General Stanley was wounded at the battle of Franklin. 
Hood lost five thousand men, among whom were thirteen 
general officers. Thomas was soon re-enforced by General 




CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 



Steedman from Chattanooga, and General A. J. Smith from 
Missouri ; thus increasing his force to fifty-five thousand. 

Hood had appeared in front of Nashville on the 2d of 
December ; but the weather was too cold and stormy to 
attempt a demonstration, and both armies huddled shivering 
around their camp-fires. Especially did the rebels feel the 
biting cold, for their thin and well-worn garments were little 
protection from the frost. On the morning of Dec. 15, 
very early. General Thomas advanced upon the enemy, A 
thick fog hid the two armies so completely from each other 



464 Yotuig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

as to conceal the assault. To withstand the shock on his 
right, Hood moved troops from his left, when Wilson's cav- 
alry fell upon his left thus weakened, Schofield and Smith 
at the same time pressing the advantage, while Wood as- 
saulted the rebel line in front, driving the enemy completely 
out of his works. By nine o'clock that night Thomas held 
the ground already taken, and was preparing to attack the 
enemy in the morning. The next day, however, Thomas 
was repulsed at first ; and only after desperate fighting were 
Hood's lines broken, his guns captured, and his army " routed 
as no army had been in the history of the war." The Con- 
federate generals, Johnson and Jackson, were captured. 
" Prisoners were taken by the regiment, and artillery by bat- 
teries." General James H. Wilson pursued the fugitives to 
Franklin, where Hood made another fruitless attempt at 
resistance. His army, already dwindled to a pitifully small 
remnant, grew smaller every hour; and the few men that 
were left were ragged and hungry. 

Forrest now returned from one of his raids in time to 
assist Hood in crossing the Tennessee, whence they fled into 
Mississippi. The unfortunate Hood was scolded, blamed, 
and finally forced to resign his command. His successor 
was General Dick Taylor, whom we last met in Louisiana. 

We left Sherman's army moving back to Atlanta, eager to 
begin the great march by which it was meant to flank Rich- 
mond, and open a way to the sea. Colonel T. E. G. Ran- 
som, a young officer of great promise, died on the return 
march. As soon as Sherman reached Atlanta again, he 
sent all the sick and wounded, the refugees, and all supplies 
and materiel of war not needed, to Chattanooga. He or- 
dered the country around Atlanta to be laid waste, bridges 
burned, railroads destroyed, and telegraph wires cut, so that 
his army could neither be followed nor heard from. He then 
caused the city to be burned, in order to keep it from agaii. 



t864.] Marching through Georgia. 465 

becoming a rebel stronghold the moment that he should 
withdraw his troops. On the 15th of November, to the tune 
of "John Brown's Body," the Union army, sixty-two thousand 
strong, marched away from the blackened ruins of Atlanta \ 
and the men took up the chorus, " Glory, glory, hallelujah ! " 
singing it with a will. Not knowing whither they were going, 
they firmly trusted that their leader would bring them out all 
right somewhere. Officers and men in the ranks, as well 
as the commander-in-chief, felt sure that the long journey 
of three hundred miles upon which they had entered must 
somehow end the war. As Sherman rode past the long 
lines on that November day, now and then a soldier would 
call out, " Uncle Billy, I guess that Grant is waiting for us 
at Richmond." 

The army was divided into two wings. Major-General 
O. O. Howard commanded the right wing, in which were 
the Fifteenth Corps under Major-General P. J. Osterhaus, 
and the Seventeenth under Major-General Frank P. Blair. 
The left wing was led by Major-General H. W. Slocum ; 
being made up of the Fourteenth Corps under Major-Gen- 
eral Jefferson C. Davis, and the Twentieth under Brigadier- 
General A. S. Williams. The cavalry, under the especial 
direction of the commander-in-chief, was led by Brigadier- 
General Judson Kilpatrick. Every arrangement had been 
carefully made for the comfort and government of Sher- 
man's military family. A day's march was to be fifteen 
miles, beginning at seven o'clock in the morning. Now 
and then the troops were halted for a breathing-spell ; and 
trains were stopped, that horses and mules might rest a 
moment. Every railroad on the route was to be destroyed. 
Foraging parties were organized to collect necessary food 
for soldiers and horses. But the men were strictly forbid- 
den to enter houses, or to " forage " on their own account. 
The soldiers who thus gathered supplies from plantations were 



466 Yoiuig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

called " bummers." One day a man passed Sherman with 
a ham, a jug of molasses, and a piece of honey which he 
was eating. Seeing that his watchful chief had discovered 
him, he said in a loud voice to a comrade, " Forage liber- 
ally on the country," quoting from one of Sherman's gen- 
eral orders. Sherman reproved the man kindly, and made 
him share his luxuries with his messmates. 

The two columns marched by different routes ; and Mil- 
ledgeville, then the capital of Georgia, was the first point 
at which the whole force was united after leaving Atlanta. 
At the approach of Sherman, the governor and State officers 
had fled ; but the inhabitants remained. 

On the 23d the march began again. One day an old 
negro was brought to General Sherman, who asked him if 
there were any Yankees at Sanders ville. " Yes," replied the 
man. " First there come along some cavalry-men, and they 
burned the depot ; then come along some infantry-men, and 
they tore up the track, and burned it, and then they sot fire 
to the well ! " General Sherman afterward learned that his 
soldiers had destroyed a pump used to Hft water to a tank. 
Then, throwing the boards and rubbish into the tank, they 
had set them on fire. 

On the 3d of December the army reached Millen, where 
there was a prison for Union soldiers. The men, as well as 
their officers, were eager to free the poor fellows confined 
there ; but to their sorrow the prisoners had already been 
removed to another place. The prison pen at Millen was 
second only in size to that at Andersonville. A part of 
Sherman's army also passed very near Andersonville, but 
unfortunately they could not turn aside to liberate the pris- 
oners. 

On the 8th of December, within fifteen miles of Savan- 
nah, an accident discovered that the road was planted with 
torpedoes. A fine young officer had his foot blown off, and 




A BUMMER. 



i864.] Marching thro7igh Georgia. 469 

several men were wounded. Sherman was very angry, and 
ordered some rebel prisoners to dig up the torpedoes, or 
else to march over, and explode them. 

Now that we are so near, let us take the map, and trace 
the long journey over again, — Adanta, Milledgeville, Millen, 
then more nearly to the south, along the bank of the Ogee- 
chee River, we come to Savannah, to find it well fortified, 
and defended by General William J. Hardee. Sherman, 
determined to communicate immediately with the Federal 
' fleet in Ossibaw Sound. Already General Howard had sent 
Captain Duncan, a trusty scout, down the Ogeechee, past 
Fort McAllister, and so out to the fleet, with the news of 
the arrival of Sherman's army. As Duncan and his com- 
rades crept along in their little "dug-out," they saw rebel 
pickets on the shore, and heard negroes praying and sing- 
ing. They could only travel in the dark : so toward morn- 
ing they hauled up their boat, and hid both it and themselves 
in the bushes. The next night they started again. Suddenly 
a cloud drifted over the moon, and made the darkness 
intense. As they rounded a bend, they saw a huge dark 
object right in their path. Another pull brought them 
alongside a rebel gunboat anchored in the stream. Noise- 
lessly they pulled off, and were well out of its way when 
the moon shone out again. They passed Fort McAllister 
safely, out of the river, into the sea, where for the next 
day they took refuge on a little desert island. When the 
tide set in, they got into their little boat again, and pushed 
off. As they rose and fell on the big waves, the mainland 
grew every moment fainter. They were hungry and thirsty, 
and, oh, so tired ! when at last a gunboat came in sight. 
Never before did the Stars and Stripes seem so beautiful. 
The men were seen, and taken on board the gunboat. Cap- 
tain Duncan's despatches, which had been hidden in a plug 
of tobacco, were delivered into Admiral Dahlgren's own 



4/0 Yotuig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

hands. The " dug-out " fared better than its captam. It was 
placed in the Museum of the Washington Navy-Yard while 
Captain Duncan's services were never rewarded in any way. 
This was the first tidings of the marching army since it left 
Atlanta. People had been very anxious to know where 
Sherman was going, and how he fared ; but not even the 
President himself had any means of finding out. At a 
levee one evening during that month of suspense, Mr. 
Lincoln was very silent and absent-minded. Rousing him- 
self with a great effort at last, he said to some one, " Excuse 
me if I am a Httle pre-occupied. To tell the truth, I was 
thinking about a man down South." He afterward con- 
fessed that "the man down South " was Sherman. 

In the mean time Sherman had ordered Hazen's division to 
capture Fort McAllister. General Howard had established 
a signal-station in an old rice-mill on the Ogeechee River, 
where he watched as anxiously for some ship of the block- 
ading squadron, as " Sister Ann " watched for her brother 
in the tale of "Bluebeard." General Sherman now began 
to fear that Duncan's party had been captured. Hazen had 
been ordered to attack at sunset, and a signal-flag assured 
Sherman that he was getting ready. Just at that moment 
the smoke of a steamer streaked the sky ; then a gunboat 
appeared in sight, bearing the Union banner. " Flutter, 
flutter, up and down, right and left ; and our signal-officer 
read the despatch out loud, so that all could hear it, — 'Who 
are you?' Answer. — 'General Sherman. Who are you?' 
Flutter, flutter, up and down, right and left. Reply. — ' Ad- 
miral Dahlgren and General Foster. Is Fort McAllister cap- 
tured?' Answer. — ' No ; but it will be in twenty minutes.' 
And as the last word was telegraphed, a dozen heavy guns 
opened fire upon Hazen's division, which was forming for 
an assault. Four minutes to five o'clock, and across the 
water come floating the bugle-notes, and away they go. 



'^^sm^^mm 



cni 




I I 



)li' I' 



iiaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM 



i864.] Marching through Georgia. 473 

I never saw the like. Over every conceivable obstacle 
known to military skill and ingenuity, never wavering, never 
faltering for an instant, with a fierce and impetuous rush 
to the front, with a gallantry almost unparalleled, and with 
a wild cheer which 1 can never forget, away they went. 
Every officer and enlisted man proved himself a soldier and 
a hero. The sun went down, McAllister was ours, and Gen- 
eral Hazen had won his second star." ' 

Up to this time General Hazen did not know that a gun- 
boat was near, nor could those on the gunboat see the 
engagement at Fort McAllister. The only communication 
was by means of signals to and from the rice-mill. Sherman 
now prepared to bombard Savannah, and General Foster 
was ready to lend a hand. But on the night of Dec. 20 
Colonel Barnum of Howard's corps, who was not more 
than three hundred yards from the rebel works, cautiously 
crept out beyond the rebel picket-hne to reconnoitre. All 
was still, and he half suspected that the Confederates had 
"skedaddled." With ten trusty men he scaled the parapet, 
then passed quickly to the fortifications. The rebel camp- 
fires burned, but not a soul was to be seen. Barnum sent 
for more men. They moved from earthwork to earthwork, 
and just at dawn they entered the beautiful city, to see, away 
across the marsh, the gray coats flying from them. A large 
force was set at work to remove the torpedoes and other 
obstructions from the river, and Savannah became a depot 
for Union supplies. The 24th of December brought Gen- 
eral Sherman news of Thomas's victory in Tennessee, which 
he considered a part of his own campaign. Immediately 
after the surrender, he wrote to the President, " I beg to 
present you as a Christmas present the city of Savannah, 
with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammu- 
nition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton." 

^ From a manuscript book by General William E. Strong. 



474 Young Folks ' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

Mr. Lincoln got the pleasant message on Christmas Eve. 
The next day the news of the fell of Savannah appeared 
in the newspapers, and from the Atlantic coast to the 
frontier there was great rejoicing. 

" So we made a thoroughfare for Freedom and her train, 
Sixty miles in latitude, three hundred to the main : 
Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain, 
While we were marching through Georgia." 



i862.] They that go doivn to the Sea in Ships. 475 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

« 

THEY THAT GO DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS. 

JOHN LAIRD was a British subject and a member of 
the House of Commons. Very early in the war he built 
a fine steamer in his shipyard near Liverpool, which 
excited much interest. The vessel received no name, being 
simply known as the " 290 " as she lay upon the stocks. 
Although nobody asked whom she was built for, or where 
slie was going, yet everybody seemed to know. Just as she 
was ready for sea, the American minister to England com- 
plained so loudly about her, that, in order to keep up the 
appearance of neutrality, a tardy order was procured to 
detain her. Before this, liowever, the Confederate agents, 
for whom she was intended, had gotten her well out of the 
Mersey on a *' trial-trip," from which, by the way, she never 
came back. She sailed for the Azores, where her crew and 
officers met her. She received there her armament, and 
thus quickly became a man-of-war; then she steamed out 
of the neutral port for a league from land. Suddenly, as if 
touched by a fairy's wand, out upon her quarter-deck stepped 
Captain Raphael Semmes, dressed from top to toe in the 
Confederate uniform. In a neat speech he named the 
steamer the Alabama, and proclaimed her to be in the ser- 
vice of the Confederate States of America. Down came 
the British flag, and up went the Stars and Bars. Semmes 
urged the officers and crew to enlist in the Confederate ser- 
vice, offering plenty of prize-money to tempt them. Hoping 



4/6 Voting Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

for a frolic with good pay, they consented ; and the most 
powerful pirate-ship on the high* seas was thus fairly manned, 
equipped, and set afloat. Semmes was well taught in his pro- 
fession, for he had learned it in the American navy. Among 
the first to desert the Union flag, he had been in active ser- 
vice in the Confederacy since the war began. From the 7th 
of September, 1863, till the summer of 1864, the Alabama's 
captures were enough to satisfy the love of adventure of 
even such a crew as hers. On the nth of June, 1864, she 
put into Cherbourg for repairs. While there, the United- 
States steam sloop Kearsarge appeared off Cherbourg. Her 
commander, Captain John A. Winslow, was looking for just 
such sort of craft as the Alabama. The two vessels were 
fully equal in size and armament. Semmes, wishing to show 
his skill and strength, sent word to Winslow, that, if he would 
lay off for a day, tlie Alalxama would be ready to go out and 
give him battle outside of neutral waters. Winslow accepted 
the challenge gladly. On the 19th of June the Alabama 
steamed out of Cherbourg, under the escort of the French 
ironclad Couronne, and an English steam-yacht carrying a 
party of ladies and gentlemen to witness the duel. At a dis- 
tance of seven miles from land, the Kearsarge turned head . 
on, and made for the Alabama. The Alabama circled around 
her, as a hawk circles around a hen ; the Kearsarge all 
the time trying to get near her. At the end of an hour the 
Alabama made a dash for neutral French waters, where 
the Kearsarge would not dare to touch her. But it was too 
late ; for the Kearsarge, already up with the enemy, gave her 
a raking fire across her bows. A white flag fluttered from 
the Alabama. She was sinking. Captain Winslow hastily 
lowered his boats, and the French pilot-boats and the Eng- 
lish yaclit did the same ; but nineteen wounded men went 
down with the Alabama. Captain Semmes childishly threw 
his sword into the sea. In the two years in which the Ala- 



i864.] They that go down to the Sea in Ships. 479 

bama plied her occupation, she had taken sixty-five prizes, 
and destroyed Federal property worth ten millions of dol- 
lars. She sailed under the English flag to catch her prey, 
only hoisting the Confederate ensign when making a prize, 
and she never touched Confederate waters. Semmes was 
made brigadier-general in the Confederate army, having 
made his escape by the help of the English yacht. 

The Oreto was another vessel which put to sea as a 
cruiser from a British port, against the remonstrance of the 
American minister. Her commander, Captain John H. 
Maffitt, had also learned the art of war in the United- 
States navy. The Oreto slipped into Mobile harbor, where 
she remained for four months, changing her name in the 
mean time to the Florida. She escaped from Mobile, and 
in the autumn of 1864 entered a harbor in Brazil where the 
United States steamer Wachusett was lying. Although she 
was in neutral waters, the Wachusett seized her, after having 
made several attempts to get her outside to fight. She was 
taken to Hampton Roads, and soon after sank in a collision 
with another vessel. The Brazilian Government made such 
a fuss about it, that Commander Collins was suspended from 
service. These are but instances of the many cruisers built 
by English shipbuilders for the Confederacy. Two fine iron- 
clad rams were just ready for sea, when Mr. Adams assured 
the British Government that war would be declared if they 
were allowed to sail ; and Mr. Laird was forbidden to let 
them go. 

The Stonewall, a powerful ironclad built in France, was 
purchased by the Confederates, and afterwards, through the 
Spanish authorities in Cuba, surrendered to the Federal 
Government. After the war the United States demanded 
payment for damages done to her commerce and property 
by EngHsh-built cruisers. As the two powers could come 
to no terms of agreement, a board of "arbitrators," or um- 



480 Young Folks' History of tJie Civil War. jiSb^. 

pires, was chosen, — one by each nation, and three by Italy, 
Switzerland, and Brazil, — to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, to 
decide the matter. This board declared that Great Britain 
had broken the laws of neutrality, and required her to pay the 
sum of fifteen million, five hundred thousand dollars' penalty 
to the United States. This was called " The Geneva Award." 
Among General Grant's moves in the game of war, one 
of the most important was the capture of Mobile, Ala. 
Standing as sentinels at the entrance of Mobile Bay were 
Forts Morgan, Gaines, and Powell. Inside the bay the 
ironclad ram Tennessee, and three Confederate gunboats, 
guarded the town. The main ship-channel, about four 
miles wide, was between Fort Morgan on the right, and 
Gaines on the left, as one enters the harbor. To the left 
of Dauphin Island, on which Fort Gaines stood, between it 
and Fort Powell, was Grant's Pass, a narrow channel, only 
deep enough to admit small vessels. A glance at the map 
will fix in your minds the position of these forts. General 
Canby, who had recently succeeded General Banks, sent 
General Gordon Granger to Dauphin Island, to attack 
Fort Gaines. At sunrise on the 5th of August the fort 
opened a sharp fire upon the besiegers, and there was pros- 
pect of a bloody battle, when the deep boom of artillery 
fell upon their ears, and all eyes turned to behold Farra- 
gut's fleet forcing its way into the bay. It moved in pairs 
firmly lashed together, — the Brooklyn and the Octorara, 
Hartford and Metacomet, Richmond and Port Royal, 
Lackawanna and Seminole, Monongahela and Kennebec, 
Ossipee and Itasca, Oneida and Galena. 

" We see our ships ; we name each pair ; 
We greet the gallant flagship there : 

God help them all this day ! 
Through crashing shot and bursting shell, 
With a courage that no words can tell, 

They force a fiery way ! 



i864.] They that go down to the Sea in Ships. 481 

And he who planned, who cheered, who led, 
Was where the shot flew overhead 

As thick as swarming bees : 
What might betide, what might befall, 
Here was the brave old admiral 

Lashed in the main cross-trees ! " 

The Hartford was the admiral's flagship ; but, because 
the Brooklyn carried a torpedo-catcher, she took the lead. 
The day was fair and the sea cahn. Admiral Farragut was 
perched in the maintop shrouds, where, high in air with 
glass in hand, he was able to direct the battle. To guard 
against accident. Captain Percival Drayton, the commander 
of the Hartford, caused a rope to be passed around the 
admiral, and secured to the -.shrouds. By the " shrouds " 
of a ship, we mean the rope-ladder reaching from the 
masthead to the vessel's side. In the maintop, above the 
admiral's head, was Martin Freeman, as trusty a pilot as 
ever trod deck. Captain Jouett commanded the Meta- 
comet, the Hartford's mate. When the Union fleet was 
signalled, the Confederate fleet took position in single file 
across the channel. The monitor Tecumseh, which did not 
reach Farragut's fleet till sunset of the evening before, fired 
the first gun upon Fort Morgan. As she advanced, she sud - 
denly shivered, reeled over, paused an instant, with her 
screw revolving high out of water, then went down head 
foremost, and with her nearly every soul on board. She 
had struck a torpedo. Her commander, Captain T. A. 
Craven, met the pilot at the foot of the ladder which led 
to the only chance for life, — the top of the turret. Cap- 
tain Craven stepped back with a courtesy and nobility that 
a king might envy, and said simply, "After you, pilot." 
" There was nothing after me," said Mr. Collins, who, 
through his commander's heroism, was spared to tell the 
story. " When I reached the topmost round of the ladder. 



4^2 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 

the vessel seemed to drop frojn beneath me." Farragut 
sent a boat to pick up tliose who might have escaped death 
in the Tecumseh. Just then the Brooklyn wavered, stopped, 
and began to "back water." There was no time to reason 
or hesitate. Farragut ordered his own ship to go ahead, 
As he passed the Brooklyn, the captain called through his 
trumpet that a line of torpedoes lay across the channel. 
"Jouett, full speed!" shouted Farragut. "Four bells, 
Captain Drayton ! eight bells ! sixteen bells ! give her all 
the steam you've got ! " And away they went safely over 
both lines of torpedoes. The Brooklyn and the others fol- 
lowed. The action now became general. An hour of hard 
fighting, and the forts were passed. As the fleet entered 
the bay, the Tennessee put on full head of steam to ram the 
Hartford. Missing her, the Tennessee discharged a broad- 
side into each of the others. The flagship then signalled, 
"Chase enemy's gunboats." Instantly Captain Jouett cut 
loose from the Hartford, and with the Metacomet started 
for them. Three others followed. By nine o'clock in tlie 
evening the Selma was captured, the Gaines was burned, and 
the Morgan ran under the guns of Fort Morgan, whither the 
Tennessee had already gone for repairs. The latter steamed 
out again to attack the Hartford ; and the Monongahela 
made a rush at her with such force as to knock men off 
their feet on each vessel. Then the Lackawanna and the 
Hartford rammed the Tennessee, pouring shot and shell 
upon her that rattled harmlessly off her iron sides. For an 
hour the Tennessee held the whole Union fleet at bay. At 
last the Lackawanna and the Hartford came into collision, 
nearly cutting the flagship in two. Boats were lowered, and 
there was a cry, " Save the admiral ! " But the stanch old 
commander, refusing to go over the side, ordered the Hart- 
ford to ram the Tennessee again, when a white flag on the 
Tennessee proclaimed her surrender. Her smoke-stack was 




^^^ FARRAGUT IN THE SHROUDS. 



1864.] They that go doivu to the Sea in Ships. 485 

gone, her steering-apparatus broken, and her commander, 
Captain Buchanan, was wounded ; but she had made a 
gallant fight. By the next afternoon the Union vessels were 
patched up, and just before sunset they opened upon P"'ort 
Gaines. After a few shots the admiral invited Colonel An- 
derson and his staff to come on board the Hartford under 
a flag of truce. They went, and Farragut convinced the 
commander of Fort Gaines that it would be a needless sacri- 
fice of life to try to hold it against bombardment. Colonel 
Anderson agreed to surrender Fort Gaines the next morning, 
and he kept his word. General Page, however, declined to 
give up Fort Morgan : so Granger's troops were landed 
behind it, and on the 2 2d of August the bombardment was 
begun by both army and navy. 

Fort Morgan held out till its citadel took fire, its walls 
were broken, its guns disabled, and its magazines in danger. 
When the flames could be no longer resisted, the flag of 
truce was hoisted. At the qx\(\ of the battle the lighthouse 
was a picturesque ruin, being but a skeleton in stone. With 
the surrender of Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay came into full 
Federal possession, for the rebels had already blown up Fort 
Powell ; but the city of Mobile still held out. 

The town of Plymouth, N.C., on the Roanoke River, 
was held by a Union garrison, under General Henry W. 
VVessels. In April it was surprised by General R. F. Hoke, 
with a Confederate force twice the number of its defend- 
ers. They shelled the town after having taken Fort Wes- 
sels, farther down the river. Three Union gunboats lay 
near the fort, but were of little use against the ironclad 
ram Albemarle, which accompanied the rebel expedition. 
Plymouth was carried by assault, and General Wessels and 
his command were captured. 

A month later the Albemarle, with the Cotton-Plant and 
the Bomb-Shell, attacked the Union blockading-fleet off the 



486 Young Folks' History of the Civil Wa/". [1864. 

mouth of the Roanoke River. After a sharp battle with the 
steamer Sassacus, the Albemarle returned to Plymouth, hav- 
ing lost both of her consorts. General Hoke then went 
back to Virginia. 

The port of Wilmington, in North Carolina, on the Cape 
Fear River, had never been entirely closed to blockade-run- 
ners, owing to the advantages of its situation, the peculiar 
build of Confederate cruisers, and the strength of Fort Fisher 
which defended it. In June, Lieutenant William B. Cush- 
ing obtained leave to destroy the Confederate ram Raleigh, 
lying in Cape Fear River. With two other officers and a 
small crew, he set out, and pulled past the forts and the 
little town of Smithville. Toward morning they landed 
within seven miles of Wilmington, and hid in the swamp 
till night fell again. They watched the river, and captured 
two fishing-boats, compelling their crews to act as guides. 
The next night was spent in reconnoitring below the town. 
At dawn Captain Cushing captured a mounted courier from 
Fort Fisher, and obtained much valuable information from 
his mail. One of the officers put on the courier's hat and 
coat, and rode to market, returning witli a good dinner for 
the party. They cut the telegraph-wires ; and as soon as 
it was dark they started on their homeward way, having 
found that the Raleigh had already been destroyed. Setting 
their prisoners adrift in the stream, with neither sails nor 
oars, they steadily pulled toward the mouth of the river. 
Suddenly the moon rose, and a guard-boat discovered 
them ; then another and another, till five came out of 
the darkness. xA^lways cool in the presence of danger, 
Cushing darted into the shadow so quickly, that for a 
moment they could not find him. Every stroke told as 
the crew bent to their oars. Away they went, out of the 
river, into the surf, where their pursuers dared not venture. 

The destruction of the Albemarle was next undertaken. 



1864.] They that go doivn to the Sea in Ships. 489 

A steam-launch with a torpedo attachment had been rigged 
for this purpose, and Lieutenant Gushing was tlie man 
chosen to do the work. With a volunteer crew of six offi- 
cers and six men, he left the fleet in the launch, at mid- 
night on the 27th of October. The Albemarle was lying 
in the Roanoke River, at Plymouth, carefully guarded by 
Confederate picket-boats. Stealthily Gushing slipped past 
them all, without being caught. At length he crossed a 
belt of light, and a dog barked. Then came the challenge, 
"Who comes there?" followed by a shower of rebel bullets. 
The Albemarle was protected by a boom of logs around 
her, thirty feet wide. The launch made a wide circle, and 
with bows on, dashed upon the enemy at full speed. The 
launch went over the logs close to the ram. The torpedo 
spar was lowered ; and with his own hands Gushing fixed 
it in place, and pulled the line which exploded it. At the 
same moment the Albemarle fired, with the muzzle of her 
great gun almost within touch of the tiny launch. Grying 
to his men to save themselves. Gushing jumped into the 
water. The bullets fell like hail around them. Only one 
man beside the brave leader escaped. Gushing swam ashore ; 
and, weary and faint from a wound in his wrist, he crawled 
into a swamp. He was kindly cared for by a friendly negro, 
who brought him the welcome news that he had done his 
work well. He had sunk the Albemarle. Gushing then 
captured a skiff, and made his way back to the Union 
gunboats. 



490 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1864. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

A PEEP INSIDE. 

SINCE the outbreak of the Rebelhon, the war had cost 
an immense sum of money. Who furnished it? You 
will answer, " Congress." It did indeed deal generously 
with the army ; but do you know where the money came 
from, which it so freely gave ? Let us see. Mr. Salmon P. 
Chase was Secretary of the Treasury, and proved himself 
well fitted for the place. He issued government bonds 
payable in gold, bearing six per cent interest, which were 
readily bought by the people. A. tax was imposed upon 
all State banks, manufactured articles of home and foreign 
production, and indeed nearly every thing used. To this 
end, revenue-stamps were bought from the government, 
and attached by the seller, thus slightly raising the price to 
the buyer. Gold and siker became very scarce ; and, for 
the convenience of commerce, Mr. Chase issued four hun- 
dred millions of treasury-notes bearing the same interest as 
the bonds. These notes were to circulate like bank-bills, 
being a " legal tender ; " that is, worth the face value of the 
note in gold. The smaller coins had almost disappeared ; 
and, instead of them, postage and revenue stamps were 
commonly used. So fifty millions of " fractional " paper 
currency of small denominations were placed in circulation. 
On the other hand, the Confederates were really suffering 
from " hard times." Their debt amounted to a billion dol- 
lars, with no means of filling up their empty treasury. They, 



i864.] A Peep Inside. 491 

too, issued bonds, which at first were fi-eely taken by their 
foreign sympathizers. But the market vakie of these bonds 
grew less as the chances of Confederate success grew 
smaller. In 1864 the paper currency of the Confederate 
States was sold for from four to six cents on the dollar. So 
it took a great many dollars to supply them with the simple 
comforts of life. 

Toward the end of the war, upon a battle-field, a Con- 
federate ten-dollar bill was found, upon the back of which 
were written the following touching verses : — 

" Representing nothing on God's earth now, 
And nought in the water below it, 
As a pledge of a nation that's dead and gone, 
Keep it, dear friend, and show it, — 

Show it to those who will lend an ear 

To the tale this paper can tell. 
Of liberty born, of the patriot's dream. 

Of the storm-cradled nation that fell. 

Too poor to possess the precious ores, 

And too much of a stranger to borrow. 
We issued to-day our promise to pay. 

And hoped to redeem it to-morrow. 

The days rolled on, and weeks became years ; 

Ikit our coffers were empty still ; 
Coin was so rare, that the treasury quaked. 

If a dollar should drop in the till. 

We knew it had hardly a value in gold, 

Yet as gold our soldiers -I'eceived it : 
Tt gazed in our eyes with a promise to pay, 

And each patriot soldier believed it. 

But our boys thought little of price or pay. 

Or of bills that were overdue : 
We knew if it brought us bread to-day, 

'Twas the best our poor country could do. 



492 Young Folks' Histoiy of the Civil War. [1864. 

Keep it : it tells our history over, 

From the birth of its dream to the last. 

Modest, and born of the angel of hope, 
Like the hope of success, it has passed." 

And the sad tale hinted at was but a shadow of the 
truth. Southern railroads needed repairing, and cars were 
tumbling to pieces. One by one, Southern ports were 
closed ; so that the means to send their few products to 
market were nearly gone. Certain articles of food were thus 
difficult to get at any price. Salt was so scarce, that those 
who had smoke-houses where meat had been cured dug 
up the cemented floor, and boiled it to get the salt which 
had accumulated on it from year to year. Parched peas 
or rye stood for coffee m the rebel bill of fare. Molasses 
took the place of sugar until the sui)ply gave out altogether. 
Tea, sweetmeats, cake, and calico were out of the question. 
In the winter of 1863-64 there was a "Starvation Club,"" 
which met in Richmond every Tuesday evening, where the 
refreshments consisted of cold water. Women plaited pretty 
rice-straw hats for themselves, and trimmed them with cocks' 
tails. Old silk dresses, of every color and style, were set off 
by those made of homespun cotton cloth ; and the brave 
girls who wore them never once wished for Northern fash- 
ions or finery. Towns and cities freely gave their church- 
bells to be cast into cannon. Envelopes were made of 
wall-paper with the figures inside, while leaves of old ac- 
count-books served for letter-paper. But for the pluck 
which proved them near of kin to the hated "Yankees," 
the Confederates would have given up the struggle long 
before. In no way was the feeling of bitterness manifested 
to such a degree as by their treatment of the Union pris- 
oners. They refused to exchange colored troops, and even 
ordered the shooting of white officers captured while com- 
manding them. Mr. Lincoln quickly ended this state of 



i863.] A Peep Inside. 495 

affairs, however, by ordering, that for every Union soldier 
thus executed a Confederate prisoner should die ; also, if 
colored troops were enslaved again. Confederate prisoners 
should be put at hard labor on the public works. 

In 1 86 1 there was a three-story warehouse on the corner 
of Carey and Twentieth Streets in the city of Richmond, 
backing upon the Canal and James River. A plain sign- 
board upon one corner bore the inscription : — 



LIBBY & SON, 

SHIP-CHANDLERS. 



That warehouse became the famous Libby Prison. At 
one time twelve thousand Union prisoners, officers of all 
grades, were confined within its walls. Nearly all the win- 
dows were broken ; and the climate of Virginia, always severe 
in its extremes of heat and cold, was especially trying to the 
half-clad and half-starved inmates, Only one blanket was 
allowed to each : many had none. The food was scanty, 
stale, and maggoty. But bitter as was the lot of officers 
within the walls of Libby Prison, that of private soldiers 
upon Belle- Isle, in the James River, was far worse. The 
bridge over which the prisoners crossed from the mainland 
has well been called the modern " Bridge of Sighs." One 
part of the island was rolling and wooded ; but, even in the 
heat of a summer's sun, the captives were not allowed to 
seek the shade of the hill. With no shelter from heat or 
cold, eleven thousand men were confined by well-guarded 
earthworks within a space of five acres. They had so little 
to eat that they would quarrel over a tablespoonful of corn- 
meal. The poor wretches sometimes spoke of the North as 



49^ Young Folks' History of the Civil Wm'. [1864. 

" God's country." No wonder that they often felt as if 
He had forgotten them in their land of bondage. " From 
his peculiar fitness for the work required of him," the su- 
preme control of rebel prisons was given to General John H. 
Winder, once an officer in the service of the United States. 
At the beginning of 1864 he left Richmond to direct the 
management of the prison-camp at Andersonville, near 
Macon, Ga. His trusty lieutenant, Captain Henry Wirz, 
carried out Winder's orders with cruel variations. The camp 
was enclosed by a strong stockade. No buildings, trees, 
huts, or tents were allowed within the enclosure. A lazy 
stream six inches deep, which ran through a marshy hollow, 
supplied the prisoners with their only water, making this pen 
too foul and loathsome to be described. The clothes of the 
captives were tattered, dirty, and covered with vermin ; and 
the little food allowed them was disgusting beyond the power 
of the happy reader to imagine. Many a poor fellow starved 
to death. It was Winder who invented "the dead-line." A 
row of posts three feet high was placed thirty feet inside the 
stockade, and to these was fastened a light rail. Any pris- 
oner who should so much as extend a part of his body over 
this rail was instantly shot. One night, when death seemed 
very near these thirsty, hungry prisoners, a heavy thunder- 
storm burst upon them. Scarcely had the sky cleared, when 
a pure, cool spring gushed out of the hillside, and is flowing 
to-day. 

Shrink as we may, after the lapse of years, from recalling 
those dark days, simple justice to the memory of those who 
died in rebel prisons forbids us to pass by their sufferings. 
It is urged in apology, that the Confederates had neither 
food nor clothing enough for their own soldiers, and there- 
fore they could not supply their prisoners. Even if this 
were true, it cannot excuse the brutal cruelty of personal 
treatment given to the Union prisoners. 



i864.] A Peep Inside. 497 

In grateful contrast let us return to the North, where 
noble bands of men and women devoted their lives lo the 
sick and wounded in hospitals and on battle-fields. As 
far as possible, the government provided for the needs of 
its soldiers ; but, to cover the deficiencies, two great socie- 
ties were organized, known as the Sanitary and Christian 
Commissions. The former supplied trained nurses, delica- 
cies, and comforts for the sick. At the close of the war it 
had expended, in money and material, twenty millions of 
dollars. Immense fairs were held in all the large cities to 
carry on the work, the results of which were magnificent. 
General Grant was asked to contribute something to the fair 
in Chicago ; and he gave his cream-colored horse, " Old 
Jack." When he reached the city, the general found " Old 
Tack " all saddled and bridled, waiting for his master, and 
the crowd insisted that Grant should ride. A hundred guns 
saluted him, and deafening cheers rent the air, Jeff, Davis's 
revolver was one of the curiosities of the fair. The war- 
eagle was another. Photographs of " Old Abe " were sold 
by children to the amount of sixteen thousand dollars. The 
original Proclamation of Emancipation brought three thou- 
sand dollars. It was unfortunately destroyed in the great 
Chicago fire in 187 1. The fair in Chicago netted one-quarter 
of a million of dollars. 

The Christian Commission, originating with the Young 
Men's Christian Association in New York, was soon in 
active operation all over the country. Its object was to 
afford moral and religious instruction to the soldiers, while, 
as far as possible, it also distributed comforts. It scattered 
Bibles, hymn-books, newspapers, books, and magazines 
among the men. It held daily prayer-meetings in every 
camp, and through its means the Bible was read to eager 
groups at some hour of every day. Pleasant rooms in all 
prominent cities or camps were provided with books and 



498 Young Folks' History of the Civil IVar. [1864. 

writing-materials, where soldiets were welcome to rest, or to 
read and write. At such places, signs like these were hung 
upon the walls : — 



SOLDIERS' 

FREE 

WRITING-MATERIALS. 



SIT DOWN 

AND 

WRITE HOME. 



In Philadelphia there were two immense Volunteer Re- 
freshment Saloons, where food was given to passing troops. 
Clean and comfortable prison-camps were provided for rebel 
prisoners : among the largest were Camp Chase at Colum- 
bus, O., Camp Douglas in Chicago, and one at Elmira, N.Y. 
Wholesome food was provided in abundance for the prison- 
ers, and charitable people sent delicacies to the sick. 

Toward the close of 1864, came the election of a Presi- 
dent for the next four years. The opposing candidates 
were Abraham Lincoln, Republican, and General George 
B. McClellan, Democratic. We know Mr. Lincoln's "plat- 
form," or creed of political belief. The Democratic plat- 
form declared that "the Union must be preserved at all 
hazards," — without slavery if possible, but with it if neces- 
sary, — and that the war had been a failure. Strange as it 
may seem, many loyal people who had been in favor of the 
war at its beginning were now discouraged and tired ot sac- 
rifices. McClellan's prospects of election, therefore, bright- 
ened at every Union defeat. To make matters worse, 
another draft was ordered just before McClellan's nomina- 
tion ; and the " Peace Democrats " put into their platform 
a resolution of sympathy with " the poor soldier," intended 
to secure his vote. From the moment that Mr, Lincoln 
was renominated, the enemies of the government used 
every means to prevent his re-election. A band of con- 



i864.] A Peep Inside. 501 

spirators was organized to stop the war, and give the Con- 
federates " a government of their own choice." One spoke 
in the wheel of their great scheme, was to liberate the eight 
thousand Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas, Chicago. 
They were to be joined by the " Knights of the Golden 
Circle," who were scattered throughout the West and South, 
nearly one hundred thousand strong. Providentially, how- 
ever. Colonel B. J. Sweet, who commanded Camp Douglas, 
found out the plot. Suspecting something wrong, he caused 
some of the many letters written by the prisoners to be held 
before a fire, when, lo ! it brought out the evidence of a 
well-arranged scheme for an uprising on the 4th of July. 
He took measures to prevent its success, and it was post- 
poned until the night of the election of President Lincoln. 
Just as all was ready. Colonel Sweet arrested the ringleaders 
in the camp and city, and in other parts of the State of Illi- 
nois. So the danger passed. 

The timely fall of Atlanta no doubt affected public opin- 
ion ; for on the 8th of November Mr. Lincoln was re-elected, 
receiving nearly half a million more votes than were cast for 
General McClellan. 



502 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. I1864. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

THE BEGINNING OF THE END. 

SLOWLY but surely, like the walls of the famous " con- 
tracting chamber," the Union lines were closing around 
the Confederates. At the opening of 1865 they held but 
three great seaports. Although Charleston harbor was well 
blockaded, and Mobile Bay was in Federal possession, 
neither city had surrendered. Wilmington still carried on 
a brisk trade with blockade-runners, " without let or hin- 
derance." A 'large land force was necessary to co-operate 
with the navy for the capture of these cities, and it had not 
been thought wise heretofore to withdraw troops for that 
purpose. In November, however. General Butler under- 
took an expedition for the capture of Wilmington's stanch 
sentry, — Fort Fisher. Admiral D. D. Porter conducted 
the war-fleet, and General Godfrey Weitzel commanded the 
troops. On the 13th of December they set sail, — the 
largest fleet that had ever left Hampton Roads. Butler's 
head was full of a gunpowder plot for the capture of Fort 
Fisher, and after some delay he secured Grant's permis- 
sion to try it. He knew that buildings had been destroyed 
by the shock of gunpowder a long way off from the real 
explosion. He reasoned, that to set off a shipload of powder 
near the fort would knock down its walls, and spread panic 
in its garrison. The Louisiana was therefore loaded with 
two hundred and fifteen tons of gunpowder, and disguised 
as a blockade-runner. The powder was placed in barrels 



i864.] The Beginning of the End. 503 

and canvas bags. Through each a fuze was passed ; and a 
clock-work apparatus was connected with the fuzes and with 
candles, by which, when they burned down to a certain 
point, they would all go off at the same moment. A pile 
of kindlings was also to be lighted in the cabin. On the 
night of Dec. 23 the monster torpedo was anchored near 
Fort Fisher. 

Although the Louisiana was a steamer, probably to avoid 
the danger of an explosion before the time, she was towed 
by the Wilderness until she was near her destination. She 
then steamed to a point three hundred yards north-east of 
Fort Fisher, when her anchor was dropped, her fires hauled, 
and her crew put in the boat in which they were to leave 
the ship. Commodore A. C. Rhind and Lieutenant S. W. 
Preston then lighted the candles and the fires in the cabin, 
and got in the boat with the crew. 

They reached the steamer which was waiting for them, 
precisely at midnight. As soon as they were on board, the 
Wilderness steamed off as fast as she could to a distance of 
twelve miles, to escape the shock of the Louisiana's explo- 
sion. No doubt they were glad to put so great a space be- 
tween themselves and the novel engine of war which seemed 
so terrible. 

The Wilderness finally anchored, and, after waiting for 
almost two hours, a heavy boom was heard at the fort, but 
was scarcely noticed, although the fleet twelve miles away felt 
the shock, and glass was broken at that distance. Butler's 
experiment had failed. 

Now that so much had already been done, Porter de- 
termined to open his guns upon Fort Fisher without wait- 
ing for Butler. He therefore began the bombardment the 
next morning. In the evening, just after the engagement 
had ceased, Butler arrived ; and on tlie next day, which 
was Christmas, under cover of Porter's guns he landed 



504 Voting Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

• 
his troops. General Weitzel strongly advised against an as- 
sault upon the sand-walls of Fort Fisher, which, if skilfully 
defended, ought to resist any force. From a prisoner, also, 
Butler learned that the garrison had been re-enforced : so 
he withdrew, and re-embarked his troops. Butler's failure 
resulted in his removal from command. But another expe- 
dition to take Fort Fisher was immediately organized by 
General Alfred H. Terry. On the 13th of January the 
Union fleet again anchored off Fort Fisher. Porter re- 
newed his bombardment vigorously, and kept it up far two 
days, till the troops arrived. At three in the afternoon of 
the 15th Terry ordered an assault from the land side, at the 
same time that Porter fired from the ships. An opening 
was quickly made in the palisades, through which the Union 
troops pressed. Fighting from one point to another, the 
rebels bravely contested every step. At length their com- 
mander, General Whiting, mortally wounded, was captured. 
Discouraged by the loss of their leader, and feeling that 
further resistance was hopeless, the garrison surrendered at 
midnight. The loss on both sides had been heavy. 

In the mean while Schofield, no longer needed in Ten- 
nessee, arrived at Fort Fisher with his command, and took 
charge of the Department of North Carolina. He there- 
fore proceeded northward on both sides of Cape Fear 
River, while Porter's fleet advanced up the stream. Hoke, 
Bragg's " best man," had evacuated Fort Anderson, and the 
rebels had blown up Fort Caswell. On the morning of 
Feb. 22 the Union army entered the deserted city, whose 
capture was necessary in order to supply Sherman's army 
then marching northward from Savannah. On his way to 
Goldsboro', Schofield met Hoke in two battles, beating him 
in the second, but being beaten in the first. 

Wishing to threaten the city of Charleston, and to force 
a large body of men to remain there for its defence, Sher- 



1865.] TJie Beginning of the End. 505 

man had sent Howard's corps to Pocataligo, on the raihvay 
between Charleston and Savannah. It was also generally 
supposed that Augusta was to be attacked, although Sher- 
man had really no such intention. Leaving a strong garri- 
son at Savannah, under General Foster, on the ist of 
February the army took up its line of march again. Its 
destination was Goldsboro', on the Neuse River ; but this 
was kept secret, for fear that the rebels would hear of it, 
and resist in force. It was a long and dangerous road. 
Constant and heavy rains swelled the streams, and made 
the. daily tramp most difficult. General John A. Logan 
had succeeded Osterhaus in command of the Fifteenth 
Corps, but no other important changes had been made 
since the army left Atlanta. Arrived at the Salkahatchie 
River, the passage of the Seventeenth Corps was strongly 
disputed ; but Generals Mower and Smith, who were in 
advance, led their men through water waist-deep, and put 
the rebels to flight on the other side. General Wager 
Swayne lost a leg in the fight, but few were killed. Near 
Midway, on the Augusta and Charleston Railroad, Howard 
halted his column to prepare for the fight which he natu- 
rally expected there. i\s that general and his staff were rest- 
ing by the roadside, an odd-looking man on an old white 
horse, with rope for bridle, and blanket for saddle, dashed 
down the road at breakneck speed, shouting, " Hurry up, 
general ! We've got the railroad, and we'll hold it against 
any force till you come up." It was true. Some foragers 
had "got ahead, and actually captured the South Carolina 
Railroad, a line of vital importance to the rebel govern- 
ment." Then followed the complete destruction of the rail- 
road for thirty miles ; after which the army pressed north- 
ward, across the Edisto and Congaree Rivers, straight on 
Columbia, the capital of South Carolina. On the morn- 
ing of Feb. 1 7 the mayor came out, and surrendered thai 



5o6 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

city to General Sherman. The Union troops then marched 
in, with Sherman, Howard, and Logan at their head. 

General Wade Hampton had ordered all the cotton in 
Columbia to be burned. A strong wind was blowing, and 
spread the fire rapidly : notwithstanding the efforts of the 
soldiers, it could not be put out. It seemed as if every 
man, woman, and child, white or black, must be in the 
streets, so dense was the throng of anxious, frightened faces. 
The name "Yankee" struck terror to their hearts; and 
it is humiliating to own that there was good reason to dread 
the soldiers, for in many cases they had not behaved well. 
Many stories are told of their destruction of private prop- 
erty, which they would scarcely have liked to tell to their 
children. As General Sherman rode through Columbia, 
picking his way through the burning cotton, a man thrust 
a folded paper into his hand, asking him to read it at his 
leisure. It proved to be the stirring poem, " Sherman's 
March to the Sea," which has been sung at almost every 
soldiers' re-union from that day to this. It was given him 
by the author, Adjutant G. H. M. Byers, who wrote it while 
in a rebel prison at Columbia. 

Sherman has been unjustly charged with having burned 
Columbia. The fire originated with the burning cotton ; 
and, although the Union soldiers worked heroically, it was 
only with the utmost difficulty that the flames were put out 
before every house was burned. Sherman kindly provided 
both food and shelter for the hungry and homeless inhab- 
itants. All public buildings were destroyed, — churches, 
schools, State House, and Confederate Mint. Plenty of 
unfinished Confederate notes were found, to which the sol- 
diers helped themselves. Even now one of these " promises 
to pay " is sometimes brought to hght by some relic-hunter. 

Upon leaving Columbia, Sherman took the route to Char- 
lotte ; but that was only a make-believe, as his real course 



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1865.] The Beginning of tJie End. 509 

lay through Cheraw, where he arrived on the 30th of March. 
The journey was very tedious, for it rained continually ; and 
the roads were so heavy, that the greater part of the way had 
to be "corduroyed," or bridged with logs placed crosswise. 

General Sherman was an object of curiosity and awe to 
the negroes. One day, as he was riding a very handsome 
horse, he stopped to talk with a group of negroes about the 
road. "They say Massa Sherman will be along soon," said 
one. " Why, that was General Sherman that you were talk- 
ing to," replied an officer. " De great God ! " exclaimed 
the negro. " Look at his hoss ! " Sherman says that the 
fellow trotted by his side for a long way, admiring the 
" hoss " far more than the rider. 

Cheraw was found deserted by the rebels, but full of sup- 
plies for hungry men and cattle. There Sherman heard that 
Johnston had succeeded to Beauregard's command, with the 
purpose of opposing his own march northward ; but he also 
learned of the surrender of Wilmington, and that Hardee 
had evacuated the city of Charleston on the iSth, the day 
after Sherman entered Columbia. Having determined to 
leave Charleston, Hardee had detailed a force to fire every 
building in which cotton was stored. The result was the 
destruction of a large portion of the city. Some boys, play- 
ing with powder which was stored in a railway-station, care- 
lessly spilled it along the ground. The train thus made was 
accidentally set off, and a terrific explosion followed, killing 
many people, and doing great damage to property. At 
length, through the untiring efforts of Gillmore's soldiers, 
who had enteied Charleston, tlie flames were put out. The 
mayor having surrendered the city, a military governor was 
appointed, by whose firm and wise administration of the 
laws, peace and quiet were soon restored. The Union flag 
was raised over Sumter and the other forts in the harbor. 
But by order of the President, on the 14th of April, a few 



510 Von 71 o- Polks' Hist 07'}' of the Civil JVa?'. [1865. 

weeks later, on the anniversary of its dishonor, the same old 
flag was again flung out to the breeze by the hands of the 
gallant General Anderson, while the band played the " Star- 
spangled Banner," and every fort in the harbor gave it wel- 
come. The Rev. Matthew Harris, the same chaplain who 
asked God's protection for the little band in December, 
i860, again offered a prayer. 

After leaving Charleston, Hardee managed to join Beau- 
regard on the border of North Carolina. They went to 
Cheraw and Florence, and afterward to Fayetteville, whither 
Slierman followed on the nth of March. At Fayetteville, 
Wade Hampton surprised Kilpatrick, capturing the house 
in which he was. Kilpatrick and most of his command 
escaped, however, and, turning back, put the enemy to 
flight. After that, skirmishes were an almost every-day 
occurrence. At Bentonville, on Sunday, March 19, the Con- 
federates made a resolute attack under Johnston, with the 
remnants of the armies of Hardee, Hood, and Bragg. The 
day's march had just begun, when the sound of firing was 
heard. Sherman supposed it to be the usual skirmish with 
\V^ade Hampton. Instead of that, Johnston with his whole 
army had struck Slocum's advancing column. It was a 
hard-fought battle, lasting all day. Johnston felt that it 
was the " last chance of the Confederacy," and he im- 
proved his opportunity. At first, with the shock and sur- 
prise, the Federals rapidly lost ground ; but at length Jeff. 
C. Davis's command made a stand, with orders to " fight 
it out." They repelled charge after charge, and came out 
at dark victorious. After the battle General Mitchell threw 
himself down upon a blanket to sleep, when a rebel orderly 
gave him this singular message : " Colonel Hardee presents 
his compliments to you, and asks that you will apprise your 
line that he is forming in your front to charge the Yankees 
on your left." — " What Colonel Hardee?" asked General 



1865.] The Beginning of the End. 513 

Mitchell. "Colonel Hardee of the Twenty-third Georgia, 
commanding a brigade in Hoke's division/' replied the 
messenger. General Mitchell invited the young man to take 
supper if he had not already done so : and, calling a staff- 
officer, he sent the messenger to the rear, a prisoner ; for, 
in the confusion which had grown out of the batde, he had 
made the mistake of communicating his message to the 
wrong commander. General Mitchell quickly drew his men 
up in order of battle. One loud tap of the drum, and a 
volley was fired low; "and the next morning there was dis- 
played in front of our works," says an eye-witness, " among 
the dead, a line of new Enfield rifles and knapsacks almost 
as straight as if laid out for a Sunday morning's inspec- 
tion." Defeat would have been disastrous. Success was 
bravely won. This was the last and only hard-fought battle 
between Savannah and Goldsboro'. 

On the 23d of March the goal was reached, the march 
was done. Four hundred and twenty-five miles had been 
tramped in the dead of winter, and Goldsboro' was won. 
Schofield and Terry joined Sherman at Goldsboro', thus in- 
creasing the Union strength to nearly ninety thousand men. 
There was no lack of provision for such an army ; for com- 
munication was established with Wilmington, Newbern, and 
Norfolk. 

Leaving Schofield in charge of affairs at Goldsboro', Sher- 
man hastened to City Point for consultation with Grant. 
Mr. Lincoln was also there, full of interest in Sherman's 
great march, and amused by every incident connected with 
it. But the President often said that he would feel better if 
Sherman were back with his army at Goldsboro'. Sherman 
has thus borne testimony to the character of the kindly 
President : " Of all the men whom I ever met, he seemed 
to possess more of the elements of greatness combined with 
goodness than any other." 



514 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

On the 20th of March, Stoneman left Knoxville, Tenn., at 
the head of a body of cavalry, and rode into Virginia, de- 
stroying the railroad from Tennessee almost to Lynchburg, 
so as to keep Lee from getting away toward the south. 
Stoneman then dashed into Salisbury, N.C., routing the 
Confederates, and capturing the town. The prisoners had 
already been sent away from the prison-camp, so that he 
had not the satisfaction of releasing them. He returned 
to East Tennessee, after destroying every Une of railroad in 
his way and a large amount of rebel property. 

About the same time Generals Grierson and A. J. Smith, 
with their forces, were sent to assist General Canby in the 
capture of Mobile, which was commanded by General D. S. 
Maury. All that country was subject, however, to General 
Dick Taylor's orders. General Canby attacked the strong- 
est point, the old Spanish Fort, on the 27th of March. 
Soon, however, it became apparent that nothing less than a 
siege could capture it : so both land and naval forces opened 
a bombardment upon it. At the same time General Steele, 
with a division of colored troops, battered away upon Fort 
Blakely, ten miles to the north. A fortnight of hard fighting 
passed, during which the rebels at the Spanish Fort made 
some desperate sallies outside of their works. On the 8th, 
however, the Federals assaulted and carried a part of the 
works, when the fort was immediately abandoned, and Canby 
took possession. The fleet then moved up to bombard the 
city, and the army turned its attention to Fort Blakely. The 
assault upon the latter resembled, in its determined bravery, 
that upon Fort McAUister ; and, although strongly fortified 
and gallantly defended, it yielded at last. On the nth of 
April, Mobile, the last seaport of the Confederacy, was cap- 
tured, and with it two hundred guns and four thousand 
prisoners. While the siege had been going on. General 
James H. Wilson had moved into the interior of Alabama 



1865.] The Beginning of the End. 515 

with a mounted army, to keep the rebels from sending sup- 
phes and re-enforcements to Mobile. He constantly en- 
countered the enemy's cavalry; but his advance was not 
seriously hindered until he met Forrest, with five thousand 
men, near Plantersville. Here Greek met Greek. After a 
short but bloody battle, Forrest was defeated. Wilson pur- 
sued him to Selma, where, on the 2d of April, the rebel 
works were taken by assault, with three thousand prisoners. 
Forrest fled before the Federals ; first, however, setting fire 
to all the cotton on which he could lay his hands. Wilson 
destroyed arsenals, founderies, and machine-shops at Selma, 
and then pushed on to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama. 
The State authorities surrendered without resistance ; and 
the Union flag was raised over the State House, where the 
first Confederate Congress had met. Wilson then crossed 
the Chattahoochee, and captured Columbus, Ga., destroying 
its workshops and Confederate property. On the 21st of 
April, Macon was peaceably surrendered, with sixty field- 
guns, twelve thousand Home Guards, and five generals of 
the State militia. 



5i6 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

AT CLOSE QUARTERS. 

GENERAL LEE'S position, caged up within the Hnes 
of Petersburg and Richmond, had come to be far 
from comfortable. His only means of communication was 
the Southside Railroad, leading to Lynchburg, by which all 
his supplies were drawn. Early in February, Grant sent a 
force to capture that ; but Lee, too well aware of its neces- 
sity to give it up, stoutly resisted the attack, which ended 
in the repulse of the Union troops, although they had 
gained advantage in position. No doubt Mr. Lincoln's 
inauguration, on the 4th of March, dealt the death-blow to 
Lee's hopes ; for he knew the man, and that nothing short 
of unconditional surrender without slavery would satisfy 
him. 

In February, Sheridan, who was still in the Shenandoah 
Valley, was ordered to take Lynchburg. The attempt was 
made ; but, finding it too well defended to attack, he made 
his way to Grant, at Petersburg, where he arrived on the 
27th of March. On the 25th Lee had made an effort to 
free himself by a sudden attack upon the Union works, in 
which he captured Fort Steedman with five hundred prison- 
ers. He then turned the Federal guns upon the Federal 
lines, and for a Httle while the enemy was master of the 
situation. It did not take long, however, to mass the Union 
batteries on all sides against Fort Steedman, which was soon 
retaken with two thousand prisoners. Grant then sent 



1865. 



At Close Quarters. 



517 



Sheridan around to the south and west of Petersburg to 
capture the Southside Raihvay. With a force of twenty- 
five thousand men, he started on the 29th of March, reach- 
ing Dinwiddie Court-House that night. It rained very 
hard all night and the next day (Thursday) ; so that Sheri- 
dan could do but little. Lee, on the other hand, lost no 




SHERIDAN'S CHARGE. 



time in arranging his troops to meet the attack, of which 
he had been duly informed. On Friday, the 3Tst, Sheridan 
pushed on to a place where five roads meet, called Five 
Forks. Here he found Generals Picket and Johnson, at 
the head of a large Confederate force. In order to protect 
his base of supplies, Lee had wisely left his defences at 
Petersburg, nearly ten miles in extent, under the care of 



5i8 Young Folks^ History of the Civil War. [1S65, 

ten thousand men. Sheridan's advance was stoutly resisted, 
and after a sharp battle he was forced back beyond the 
position which he had occupied in the morning. The next 
day, Saturday, April i, Sheridan's cavalry assaulted the 
enemy behind his earthworks, wliile Warren attacked on 
his left. Late in the day the brunt of the battle fell upon 
Ayer's troops. Sheridan inspired them with courage by his 
own example. Seizing the battle-flag, he led them in a furi- 
ous charge, ordering the bands at the same time to play. 
With a wild shout they carried the enemy's works. The 
rebels fled from the field, with the Union cavalry in hot pur- 
suit. Sheridan took nearly six thousand prisoners. While 
leading the charge of Ayer's men, just when the hesitation 
of a single man might spread panic among them, a trooper 
was mortally hurt by a ball, and reeled in his saddle. As 
he was about to fall, Sheridan's quick eye saw him ; and, 
knowing that a riderless horse might demoralize the whole 
line, he shouted cheerfully, " All right, my man : keep right 
on ! " The soldier heard and obeyed. He rode straight on 
with the line over the breastworks, and fell dead inside the 
rebel fortifications. 

The army at Petersburg welcomed Sheridan's victory with 
loud cheers. The sound was heard in a low, close room 
full of sick and wounded soldiers ; and some one asked 
what it meant. When a nurse explained the cause, a poor 
maimed fellow exclaimed, " Well, boys, that pays us for all 
our suffering." 

Grant ordered the enemy's works to be bombarded all 
night, and very early the next morning the whole line in 
front of Petersburg was attacked. Fort Gregg was desper- 
ately assailed ; but its brave little rebel garrison of three 
hundred men repulsed the Federals, ten times their number. 
For an hour and a half they fought like tigers. Suddenly 
a deafening cheer rose from the struggling mass. Fort 



1865. J A^ Close Quarters. 519 

( Iregg iiad been taken. The enemy's line was pierced, and 
the Confederate army divided. Wright was already de- 
stroying the Southside Railroad, west of Petersburg. From 
Petersburg to Five Forks, it was one continuous battle-field. 

Lee was at that time in the city, with Generals Mahone 
and A. P. Hill, trying to decide upon some plan of action. 
The sounds of battle were every moment growing nearer. 
"How is this, general?" said Lee. "Your men are giving 
way." Hill at once went out, and with a single orderly rode 
toward the firing. In a wooded ravine he came upon sol- 
diers wearing the Federal uniform. With astonishing cool- 
ness Hill dashed upon them, and ordered them to surrender. 
They hesitated for a second, and then, raising their rifles, 
fired ; and the great commander fell from his horse, dead. 
Second only to " Stonewall " Jackson, Hill had been Lee's 
right hand through all the varied fortunes of the war, begin- 
ing at Bull Run. He had worn the badge of every grade, 
from a colonel of infantry to that of lieutenant-general. 

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Richmond. The air 
was full of the scent of flowers and the songs of birds, when, 
in his pew at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Mr. Davis devoutly 
confessed his sins. He had good reason to pray that God 
would " succor, help, and comfort all who are in danger, 
necessity, and tribulation." A messenger entered the church, 
and gave him a despatch which announced the disaster 
at Petersburg and the necessity of immediate flight. Mr. 
Davis rose, and walked out of church with a stately step. 
Instead of announcing the usual evening service, the rector 
gave notice, that, by order of General Ewell, the Home 
Guards would meet at three o'clock. Not a word was said 
about the defeat. But ill tidings speed fast ; and, although the 
people were never warned, it l:)ecame apparent, before many 
hours, that the city was being evacuated. Mr. Davis and his 
cabinet left Richmond that evening for Danville by a special 



520 Yo7cng Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

train. Before nightfall the Confederate capital presented a 
scene of wild disorder. All who owned movable property 
were trying to get it away. The city council ordered liquors 
to be destroyed ; but, as the heads of casks were knocked 
out, pails were filled, and a maddened mob thronged the 
streets. Ewell fired several large tobacco warehouses, at the 
same time withdrawing his garrison ; thus depriving the town 
of its only protection. Libby Prison was spared from the 
flames. The State Penitentiary being no longer guarded, 
the prisoners escaped. The engine-hose were cut, and the 
fire spread, until whole blocks of buildings were burned. 
In the midst of it all, the ground was shaken by the explo- 
sion in the James River of rams and gunboats, which had 
been blown up by Semmes's order. As if the terror and suf- 
fering endured by the citizens of Richmond were not enough, 
on Monday morning, soon after sunrise, there arose the cry, 
'' The Yankees ! The Yankees ! " No doubt the people ex- 
pected to be murdered outright. Instead, however, a part 
of the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry rode quietly into the 
town. Lieutenant De Peyster, one of General Weitzel's aides, 
a youth of eighteen, raised the Union flag on the Confeder- 
ate Capitol, while the bands played National airs. Order 
was quickly restored. The fires were put out, and guards 
were established over the city. A colored regiment entered 
Richmond, and witnessed the surrender. The next morning 
the telegraph bore the news to the North that Richmond 
had fallen. 

Lee in the mean while spent the short hours of Sunday in 
making arrangements to leave Petersburg with the remnants 
of his army. On that night, April 2, they marched out of 
Petersburg, and hastened across the Appomattox to Amelia 
Court-House. As soon as he learned of the flight, Grant 
started in pursuit, with the intention of cutting Lee off" from 
Danville, where he evidendy meant to go. Lee had several 



1865.1 At Close Quarters. 521 

hours the start, it is true ; but as his supply-train was burned, 
and his army was taint and hungry, he was obhged to wait 
at Ameha Court- House for his foragers to bring in provision 
before going on. Sheridan reached Jettersville, a few miles 
to the west of Amelia Court-House, in Lee's front, on Tues- 
day afternoon. On Wednesday, April 5, Sheridan destroyed 
one of Lee's wagon-trains, and captured many prisoners. 
He then sent a despatch to Grant with news of his suc- 
cess, adding, " I wish you were here yourself. If things 
were pressed, I think Lee would surrender." To which 
Sheridan received the characteristic reply, " Press things." 
That night the greater part of the Army of the Potomac 
came up. Of course Lee heard of Sheridan's movements ; 
and instead of going to Burkesville, as he had intended, he 
went to Farmville, hoping to escape to Lynchburg, across the 
Appomattox River. The sufferings of the rebel troops were 
very hard to bear, and sad to see. Discouraged, hungry, 
weary, exhausted, they straggled or fell by the way, the col- 
umns hourly growing thinner. At Sailor's Creek, Ewell's 
entire corps was captured, including Semmes, of Alabama 
fame, Custis Lee, a son of General R. E. Lee, and many 
other officers. But, hurry on as best Lee could, the Union 
army was at his heels. Lee got across the Appomattox 
near Farmville, but not in time to destroy the bridges. 
At Farmville, Grant wrote a letter to Lee, which was in- 
tended to spare him the humiliation of a first proposal of 
surrender. It ran thus : — 

April 7, 1865. 
General, — The result of last week must convince you of the 
hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of North- 
ern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard it as my 
duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any further effusion of 
blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the Con- 
federate States army known as the Army of Northern Virginia. 

U. S. Grant, Lieutcjiatii-General 
General R. E. Lee. 



522 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

Lee's own ofificers wished him to surrender, seeing noth- 
ing but hopeless suffering in resistance. Still Lee refused 
to yield, but nevertheless wrote to Grant, asking upon what 
terms he would receive the surrender. Grant answered, that 
the men and officers must not again take up arms against 
the United States until released or exchanged. 

On the 8th of April, Custer, Crook, and Merritt were off 
again after Lee, halting but once in twenty-eight miles. 
Arriving at Appomattox Station, Custer seized the station, 
with its cars and engines and several trains ; but it cost a 
bloody battle with the advance-guard of Lee's army. Early 
on the morning of April 9 Lee advanced hotly upon Sheri- 
dan at Appomattox Court-House, supposing his force to be 
only dismounted cavalry, while, in truth, Ord was forming 
his lines of infantry in a wood at the rear. Crook received 
the rebel shock, and fell back slowly as Gordon's division 
rushed upon him with yells. Suddenly Sheridan's cavalry 
withdrew to the enemy's left, while a grim line of bayonets 
advanced at double-quick to meet General Gordon. Before 
the remounted cavalry could charge upon his flank, Lee 
displayed a flag of truce. On that morning he had received 
a letter from Grant, declining Lee's request for a meeting to 
discuss the terms of peace, on the ground that he (Grant) 
had no authority to do so. 

After the battle Sheridan rode over to Appomattox 
Court-House, where General Gordon positively assured him 
that Lee meant to surrender, having already sent to ask an 
interview with Grant in order to reconsider the matter. 
Well, at last Grant joined Sherijdan ; and, with the members 
of his own staff and several other officers, he entered the 
house of Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Court-House, 
which Lee had chosen for the interview. It is possible 
that McLean did not enjoy the honor thus unexpectedly 
thrust upon him. Four years before, the first battle of 



1865.] At Close Quarters, 525 

Bull Run had been fought upon his farm. In order to 
escape the tramp of armies and the horrors of war, he 
removed with his family to Appomattox Court-House. The 
last battle of the Rebellion had just been lost upon his farm. 
Now his house was suddenly entered by a company of offi- 
cers without so much as saying, " By your leave." 

Lee was in the parlor with his aide-de-camp, Colonel 
Marshall, when Grant entered with Sheridan, Ord, Williams, 
Rawlins, and Ingalls. After a few words of greeting, all the 
officers withdrew, leaving Grant and Lee alone together with 
their aides-de-camp. Lee was dressed in his best from top 
to toe, wearing a fine sword, which had been the gift of 
the State of Virginia. Grant looked rather the worse for 
the long and dusty ride which he had taken, wearing neither 
sword nor epaulets, his rank being indicated only by the 
three stars on his shoulder. The bearing of the two men 
was very simple, and one could not have guessed which it 
was who was going to surrender. After a little conversation, 
Lee very readily agreed to the terms of surrender, which 
Grant wrote out. They were surely not hard terms. The 
Confederates were to become prisoners-of-war upon parole ; 
giving up all ammunition, weapons, and supplies. They 
were allowed to keep their side-arms and baggage, and to 
return to their homes, where they were to remain until they 
were released or exchanged. Lee was thus saved from the 
humiliation of giving up his sword. After all was done, and 
Lee had signed the agreement, he said that he had forgotten 
to ask that the men in the cavalry and artillery might keep 
their horses, but he supposed it was too late now. Grant 
replied, that his officers should be instructed to allow this 
also, saying, " They will need them to do their spring plough- 
ing." Lee was touched by Grant's generosity, and said ear- 
nestly, " General, there is nothing that could have been done 
to accompHsh more good, either for them or the Govern- 



526 Young Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

ment." The two great commanders again shook hands ; and^ 
as Lee passed out, the National officers saluted him. As he 
waited for his horse, that was browsing in the yard, he looked 
toward the valley where the two armies lay, and struck his 
Iiands together more than once, as if overcome by his feel- 
ings. Grant must have been immensely pleased at Lee's 
surrender, but he looked as stolid as a statue. Mounting 
his horse, he also rode away. Scarcely was their chief gone, 
when the Union officers left behind began to look about 
for mementos of the surrender. Sheridan bought, for 
twenty dollars in gold, the plain litde table upon which the 
agreement was signed, and sent it with his compliments to 
Mrs. Custer. Ord bought the marble-top table. Other fur- 
niture shared the same fortune. Tables and chairs were pur- 
chased and taken away, until the room was stripped. Then 
the yard was invaded ; and flowers, buds, and even leaves, 
were plucked in remembrance of the 9th of April, 1865, 
when the Rebellion died. Poor McLean must have felt 
that after all it would have been better for him to have 
staid at Manassas. 

At Lee's request, Grant had gladly furnished him with 
twenty- five thousand rations for his hungry men, even before 
they had given up their arms. As Lee rode through his 
own lines, the men crowded around him, and tried to touch 
his hand. With tears streaming down his face, he said in a 
trembling voice, " Men, we have fought through the war 
together. I have done the best that I could for you." The 
next day he made a farewell address to his troops, and 
rode away to Richmond a paroled prisoner. On the 12th 
the Army of Northern Virginia formed for its last parade. 
Then, marching to Appomattox Court- House, in silence the 
men stacked arms, and laid down their colors, when — still 
wearing the rebel gray, but without the marks of rank — they 
disbanded to return to their homes. Grant never entered 




lee's farewell to his army. 



1865.] At Close Quarters. 529 

the rebel lines, but hastened to Washington, leaving Meade 
in charge of the surrender. Neither gun nor martial music 
proclaimed the Union victory. There was a general hand- 
shaking among the officers of the opposing armies after- 
wards, and the men of the armies of the Potomac and the 
James shared their blankets and their rations with their late 
enemies. The Union army remained at Petersburg and 
Richmond, let us hope never again to carry arms. From 
one end of the world to the other, the news flew on the 
wings of the wind, — " Richmond has fallen ; Lee has sur- 
rendered ! ■' What the rejoicing was, let your own hearts 
tell you when you remember the suffering and bloodshed 
of the preceding four years. 

Jeff. Davis and his cabinet left Richmond that evening by 
a special train for Danville. 



530 Young Folks' History of the Civil Wa7'. [1865. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

THE END. 

IF the people and the soldiers were glad to know that 
peace had come once more, how thankful must Mr. 
Lincoln have been ! He had aged perceptibly in the past 
four years. The weight of his responsibility and his con- 
stant sympathy with the sufferings of the people had sad- 
dened him. By his kindly interest he had endeared himself 
to every officer and soldier in the army. He had already 
been at City Point for several days, when the end came. 
On Monday he and Admiral Porter went up to Richmond 
together. He was very grave, although very glad ; for he 
tliought of the years of sorrow tliat had had to be endured 
for this great day. General W'eitzel escorted Mr. Lincoln 
about the city in an open carriage, coming at last to the 
Confederate Capitol. They walked through its rooms until 
they reached the cabinet-chamber. Pointing to a seat. Gen- 
eral Weitzel said, " Mr. President, this is the chair occu- 
pied by President Davis." Another might have rejoiced in 
an enemy's downfall ; but Mr. Lincoln stepped wearily to 
the vacant seat, and without a word sat down, letting his 
head fall into his open hands. For a moment not a sound 
broke the silence, and all present felt that the great states 
man and beloved ruler was reviewing the events of the past 
sad year. He drew a deep sigh at last, and no one wit^ 
nessed the scene with dry eyes. 

The President returned to Washington on the 9th. Two 




LINCOLN AUUKESSING THE PEOPLE. 



1865.1 TJie End. 533 

days later, in honor of the recent National victories, the White 
House was illuminated, and a throng gathered in the grounds, 
cheering and calling loudly for Mr. Lincoln. " As Mr. Lin- 
coln and a few friends mounted the stairs to the upper part 
of the house, there was a tremendous din outside, as if roars 
of laughter were mingling with the music and the cheers. 
Inside of the house, at one of the windows on the right of 
the staircase, was old Edward, the conservative and dignified 
butler of the White House, struggling with Tad, and trying 
to drag him back from the window, from which he was wav- 
ing a Confederate flag, captured in some fight, and given to 
the boy. The crowd recognized Tad, who frantically waved 
the flag as he fought with Edward, while the people roared 
with delight. 'The likes of it. Mister Tad,' said the scandal- 
ized butler, — ' the likes of a rebel flag out of the windows of 
the White House ! Oh, did I ever ! ' Edward conquered ; 
and, followed by a parting cheer from the throng below, Tad 
rushed to his father with his complaints. But the President, 
just then approaching the centre window overlooking the 
portico, stood with a beaming face before the vast assembly 
beneath ; and the mighty cheer that arose drowned all other 
sounds." The President then began his address. 

This was Mr. Lincoln's last speech to a devoted people. 
On the 14th the Washington newspapers announced that 
General Grant would accompany Mr. Lincoln and his party 
to Ford's Theatre that evening. Although the President had 
invited him. General Grant excused himself in order to pay 
a visit to his children, whom he was in haste to see. So with 
Mrs. Lincoln, another lady, and Major Rathbone, the Presi- 
dent occupied a box in the theatre, which was draped and 
decorated with the prettiest banner in the world. When 
the interest in the play was at its height, and every eye was 
fixed upon the stage, a man stole into the box and shot 
the President in the head. The assassin was John Wilkes 



534 Young Folks' History of tJic Civil War. [1865, 

Booth, an actor, and son of the'English actor, Junius Brutus 
Booth. Iq the confusion which followed, Booth jumped 
from the box to the stage, shouting, " Sic semper tyrannis / " 
("So be it always with tyrants ! ") But, one of his spurs 
becoming entangled with a flag, he fell, breaking his leg. 
He recovered himself, however, and cried loudly, " The 
South is avenged ! " as, brandishing his dagger, he made 
his escape. Although he did not die until the next morn- 
ing, Mr. Lincoln was never conscious after the ball entered 
his brain. They took him to a house opposite the theatre, 
where his cabinet, and many persons high in the State, kept 
watch by his bed. Six hours after Mr. Lincoln's death, the 
oath of the presidential office was privately administered to 
the Vice-President, Andrew Johnson, by Chief Justice Chase. 
Booth's part in the tragedy had not been due to the mere 
fancy of a madman. It was but one thread in the web that 
a band of wicked men had woven to catch the chief officers 
of the government. General Grant was to have shared the 
fate of the President, but his timely journey saved his life. 
One who was concerned in the plot succeeded in getting 
into Secretary Seward's bed-chamber, where he was lying ill, 
and stabbed the secretary three times with an ugly knife. 
Mr. Seward was seriously injured, but the would-be murderer 
got away. To each one of the gang of desperate men, had 
been allotted a victim to despatch ; but only Booth accom- 
plished his purpose. It is litde wonder that this crime, fol- 
lowing so closely upon the heels of the late Confederate 
defeat, and taken in connection with Booth's exclamation, 
"The South is avenged ! " should have been charged upon 
the Confederacy. The new President even offered a reward 
of one hundred thousand dollars for the arrest of President 
Davis, believing him to have suggested the plot. Afterwards, 
when the public mind grew calmer, that idea was abandoned. 
Booth was hunted like a wild animal. With one other of the 



1865.] The End. 537 

conspirators, a youth named Harold, he was captured in 
Virginia. Booth was mortally wounded in the struggle. His 
companion and two others were speedily hanged. 

The body of the martyr President was prepared for burial, 
and lay in state in Washington until the funeral, where it 
was visited by throngs of weeping people. It was after- 
ward carried to his home in Springfield, 111. Countless 
thousands looked at that beloved face when the procession 
stopped at all the large towns or cities on the way. After 
nearly twenty years his memory is as fresh in the hearts of 
a grateful people as when he paid for their liberty with his 
life. How inglorious, on the other hand, was the career of 
the President of the boasted Confederacy ! Mr. Davis 
waited anxiously at Danville for Lee, who never came. 
Having escaped Grant, he hastened to join Johnston at 
Greensborough, in the interior of North Carolina. On the 
very day of Lincoln's assassination, Davis was living in a 
box-car on the railroad, because nobody offered him hos- 
pitality. The armies of Lee and Johnston were not more 
than a hundred and fifty miles apart at this time ; but Sher- 
man and Grant were between, and a junction was impossi- 
ble. Immediately upon the surrender of Lee, Sherman 
hastened to execute Grant's orders to " push on and finish 
the job." As Sherman advanced, Johnston retreated, until 
on the 13th of April the Union army entered Raleigh, the 
capital of North Carolina. The next day a message arrived 
from Johnston, asking if Sherman would suspend operations, 
that some terms of peace could be arranged. Sherman had 
in the mean time heard of Grant's success in Virginia, and 
he answered Johnston that he could surrender on the same 
terms as Lee. An appointment was then made for a meet- 
ing between the two generals. 

Sherman in the mean time received the news of the death 
of the President and the attacks upon the lives of members 



538 Yotuig Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

of. the Cabinet. When he arrived at the meeting-place, 
the generals shook hands, and passed into a small farm- 
house not far away. When they were left alone, Sherman 
showed Johnston the telegram that he received at starting. 
The rebel general was greatly agitated. " The perspiration 
came out in large drops on his forehead, and he did not 
attempt to conceal his distress. "And," adds Sherman, 
" he denounced the act as a disgrace to the age, and hoped 
that I did not charge it to the Confederate Government." 
After much talk, Johnston admitted that to carry on the 
war further would be "murder," and wished to make terms 
for all the rebel armies as well as his own. They parted, 
to meet again the next day at noon. Johnston hastened to 
Jeff. Davis for advice and instruction. Sherman returned 
to his headquarters, and told his army of the assassination 
of the President. On the i8th Sherman and Johnston 
again met, unfortunately, for much trouble came out of 
Sherman's efforts to settle terms of peace. Johnston brought 
General John C. Breckinridge with him. Of course they 
wished to get all they could for the rebel armies, and Sher- 
man agreed to send on to Washington for definite orders. 
At the same time he offered to make very liberal terms, a 
statement of which he forwarded to the President for ap- 
proval. What a breeze that bit of paper stirred ! Since the 
death of Lincoln was laid at the rebel door, no terms would 
seem to suit the Union Government or people. Notwith- 
standing that the Confederacy had fallen, Johnston asked for 
more than Lee had. Sherman was blamed officially and by 
the public press. Stanton telegraphed to him a savage mes- 
sage, and followed it up by sending Grant to look after him. 
Halleck once more entered upon the scene, and ordered 
Meade and Sheridan and Wright to North Carolina. Grant 
declared that this treatment of a man who had done such 
service as Sherman was " infamous." But after all, on the 



i865.] The End. 539 

26th, Johnston surrendered upon Lee's terms. A month 
later Kirby E. Smith surrendered to Canby, and all was 
over. 

But poor Jeff. Davis began to feel like the Wandering 
Jew. A price was put upon his head. He dared rest no- 
where, for fear of meeting the fate of traitors. Afraid to 
risk an interview with Sherman, and not daring to wait 
for Johnston's surrender, he fled to Charlotte. When he 
learned that Johnston had made terms with Sherman, he 
made his way west, hoping to join Kirby Smith in Missis- 
sippi. The grand body of cavalry that started with Davis 
and his cabinet had daily grown smaller, until but a few 
friends remained. The Confederate chief rode beside the 
carriage which contained his wife and family. But General 
James H. Wilson, the only man who ever defeated Forrest, 
was looking for Mr. Davis. Colonel Hardin, of Wilson's 
command, found and arrested him near Macon, on the nth 
of May. The fallen president was disguised as a woman, wear- 
ing a " waterproof cloak gathered at the waist, with a shawl 
over his head, and carrying a tin pail." Mrs. Davis excused 
her husband's dress by saying that he wore a " Raglan " 
cloak, and that she threw a shawl over his head. Davis 
had in his possession one hundred thousand dollars in gold, 
belonging to the Confederate Government. He was taken 
to Fortress Monroe, and there confined as a prisoner-of- 
state for two years. He was never tried, and was released 
in December, 1868. Vice-President Alexander H. Stephens 
was also captured, and confined at Fort Warren in Boston 
harbor, but, like Davis, was given up without trial. The 
gold which Davis had in his possession still remains un- 
touched in the National treasury at Washington. 

Now began the work of breaking up the Union armies, 
gathered and drilled and disciplined at such cost. The 
whole number of men called into service during the war 



540 Young Folks' History of the Civil War, [1865. 

had been more than two and one half milUons. It is esti- 
mated that at least three himdred thousand soldiers were 
lost on either side, and that in both armies those perma- 
nently crippled were over four hundred thousand. Before 
the day came for disbanding, there was a grand military 
review in Washington, such a review as America had never 
before dreamed of. It took two whole days for the armies 
of Meade and Sherman to pass before the President and 
his party, who sat in a pavilion prepared for them. There 
was patriotism in the air. Flowers breathed it, bands 
played it, and flags, torn and blood-stained, gave it to the 
breeze. The wildest enthusiasm prevailed. And this was 
the last meeting of the veterans who had well earned their 
honors. Then came farewells and hand- shakings. The 
boys in blue went home to the loving embrace of proud 
and happy friends — heroes forever. 

But what of the six hundred thousand, wearing the blue 
and the gray, who never went back to their homes ! To- 
day, on all the great battle-fields, are national cemeteries 
where the dead are garnered. No city or town is so poor 
or unpatriotic as to be without its " soldiers' plot," often 
marked by a costly monument. From New Orleans to 
Maine, a day is set apart for decorating soldiers' graves. 
The 30th of May is chosen at the North as Memorial Day ; 
while a day in the month of April is kept as a sad holiday 
at the South. 

At the unveiling of the Soldiers' Monument in New 
Orleans, the most beautiful tribute of flowers sent was from 
the Grand Army of the Republic. The women of Colum- 
bus, Miss., strew flowers on the graves of both Federal 
and Confederate soldiers. Time will efface the scars, as it 
has already healed the wounds, made by the war of the 
Rebellion, 




^3^ 






THE LINCOLN MONUMENT. 



The End, 543 

' By the flow of the inland river, 

Whence the fleets of iron have fled, 
Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver, 
Asleep on the ranks of the dead, — 
Under the sod and the dew, 

Waiting the judgment-day; 
Under the one, the Ijlue ; 
Under the other, the Gray. 

These in the robings of glory, 

Those in the gloom of defeat, 
All with the battle-blood gory 
In the dusk of eternity meet, — 
Under the sod and the dew. 

Waiting the judgment-day; 
Under the laurel, the Blue; 
Under the willow, the Gray. 

From the silence of sorrowful hours 

The desolate mourners go. 
Lovingly laden with flowers. 

Alike for the friend and the foe, — 
Under the sod and the dew. 

Waiting the judgment-day; 
Under the roses, the Blue; 
Under the lilies, the Gray. 

So with an equal splendor 

The morning sun-rays fall, 
With a touch impartially tender, 

On the blossoms blooming for all,-= 
Under the sod and the dew. 

Waiting the judgment-day ; 
Broidered with gold, the Blue ; 
Mellowed with gold, the Gray. 

So when the summer calleth, 

On forest and field of grain, 
With an equal murmur falleth 

The cooling drip of the rain,- — 



544 Voting Folks' History of the Civil War. [1865. 

Under the sod and the dew, 

Waiting the jadgment-day ; 
Wet with the rain, the Blue ; 

Wet with the rain, the Gray. 

Sadly, but not with upbraiding, 
The generous deed was done : 
In the storm of the years that are fading, 
No braver battle was won, — 
Under the sod and the dew, 

Waiting the judgment-day; 
Under the blossoms, the Blue ; 
Under the garlands, the Gray. 

No more shall the war-cry sever, 
Or the winding rivers be red : 
They banish our anger forever 

When they laurel the graves of our dead, — = 
Under the sod and the dew, 

Waiting the judgment-day ; 
Love and tears for the Blue, 
Tears and love for the Gray." 




\\x\|//////; 










INDEX. 



African slave-trade, 2. 
Alabama, the, 475. 
Albatross, the, 385. 
Albemarle, the, destroyed, 489. 
Alexandria, La., burned, 420. 
Alexandria, Va., 67. 
Alger, Major Russell, 322, 
Amelia Court-House, 521. 
Anderson, Confederate general, 485. 
Anderson, Robert, at Moultrie, 26. 
at Sumter, 27-40, 510. 
in Kentucky, 125, 129. 
Andersonville prison, 496. 
Anecdotes : 

A brave telegraph-operator, 259. 

A company's rations, 301. 

A dress trimmed with buttons, 136. 

A novel petticoat, 136. 

A true patriot, 199, 

A victor who did not exult, 530. 

Beauregard's boast fulfilled, 204. 

Birds on a battle-field, 334. 

Boy saves Gosport dry-dock, 56. 

Brownell, 68. 

Butterfield's happy thought, 265. 

" Caliber 54," 376. 

Capture of the Albemarle, 486 

Children at Cumberland Gap, 412. 

Color-sergeant at Missionary Ridge, 
409. 

Commander Cummings's reply, 386. 

Commodore Foote's sermon, 177. 

Confederate soldier after battle, 379. 

Contraband's lesson too hard for 
him, 72. 

Craven at Mobile Bay, 481. 

Cushing's exploit in Cape Fear 
River, 486. 

Death of Lyon, 242. 



Anecdotes, contimied. 

Death of William Scott, 242. 

Death of Stonewall Jackson, 434. 

" Don't shoot, boys ! " 276. 

Drummer-boy at Antietam, 298. 

Dying drummer-boy, 261. 

Farragut's orders at Mobile, 482. 

Foraging for supper, 371. 

Forrest's adventure in Memphis, 
417. 

Garfield's ride, 402. 

George Hunt, and the hot shell, 335. 

Georgian troops and the Union 
gunner, 357. 

" Good-by, Sammy," 297. 

Grant as a cadet, 424, 

Grant's characteristic telegram, 521. 

Grant rides " Old Jack," 497. 

Grant's sword broken by a ball, 211. 

Grierson's raid, 371. 

Hadn't any home, 337. 

Hancock and Stewart, 434. 

Hancock's famous order, 244. 

Hill's dying words, 434. 

Howard looks out for " Yanks," 407. 

Howard's foragers capture a rail- 
way, 505. 

How Floyd escaped capture, 180. 

How Stonewall Jackson got his 
name, "]%. 

Jenkins paid in his own coin, 352. 

Jennie Wade, 362. 

" Joe is dead," 234. 

John Burns, 354. 

Johnny Clem, 403. 

Kearney's example of bravery, 244. 

Kentucky boy in Pea Ridge hospi- 
tal, 410. 

Kindness of Confederate soldier, 

383- 
Lamb on battle-field, 212. 

545 



546 



Index. 



Anecdotes, continued. 

Lee and Hill at Petersburg, 519. 
Lee goes North for rations, 350. 
Lee's farewell to his troops, 526. 
Lieutenant Estes and the rebels, 

350- 
Lincoln introduced to soldiers, 268. 

pardons deserters, 267. 

and the man down South, 470. 

and the birds, 266. 
Lincoln's dinner of hard-tack, 442. 

whiskers, 267. 
Lyon's visit to Camp Jackson, 79. 
" Mamma, is God a Union man ? " 

336. 
Major Peyton and his son, 265. 
Marching over torpedoes, 469. 
Miles's conduct at Harper's Ferry, 

293- 
Mitchell and rebel orderly, 510. 
Mulligan's ammunition, 119. 
Negro who admired Sherman's 

" boss," 509. 
" No sanitary folks allowed inside," 

441. 
Officer of Sixth Wisconsin wounded 

at Gettysburg, 354, 
Old woman's strange pet, 407. 
Orderly-Sergeant Goodfellow, 75. 
Pemberton's messenger, 381. 
Peter Hart fights fire, 41. 
Pickets at Ezra Churcli, 459. 
Porter's balloon-ride, 238. 
Promoted by Lincoln, 423. 
Reuben Uavis's shield, 184. 
Robert Hendershott, 305. 
Rosecrans' vigilance, 381. 
Scott's answer to treason, 71. 

wrath, 70. 
Scrimmage predicted, 432. 
Shall he go below ? 385, 
Sheridan's charge at Five Forks, 
518. 

famous telegram, 447. 

ride, 448. 

way of getting information, 444. 
Sherman, William T., asleep by the 
roadside, 454. 

and the bummer, 466. 

narrowly escapes capture, 415. 

threatens to shoot, 143. 
Sherman's thorough work at Meridi- 
an, 415. 
Sign of a battle, 346. 
Soldier's coolness in a storm, 453. 

song on the battle-field, 431. 
Stuck in the mud, 307. 



Anecdotes, conchided. 

Surrender of Vicksburg, 382. 

Tad Lincoln at Fredericksburg, 343. 
in the White House, 533. 

Telegram misspelled, 307. 

Telegraphing from the seat of war, 
208. 

The Marion passing Sumter, 32. 

Then they set fire to the well, 466. 

They " couldn't stop to bother with 
us," 183. 

Three friends study geography, 170. 

Too sure for safety, 278. 

Vegetable wagon captured, 137. 

War-eagle's history, 193. 

" We can buy our gloves together," 
261. 

" What is your badge ? " 407. 

Who is a coward ? 208. 

William Scott's pardon, 140, 

Woman who carried warning to 
Somerset, 399. 

Wounded boy in hospital, 518. 

Wounded confederate and General 
Howard, 258. 

Writer of a famous song, 509. 

Xenophon's answer, 428. 

Yankee who could fix an engine, 58. 
Annapolis, 56, 58. 
Antislavery society, 6. 
Appomattox Court-House, 522, 525. 
Army of the Cumberland, 213, 396, 

4°3>45i-. 

of the Mississippi, 321, 369, 383. 

of Northern Virginia, 000. 

of the Ohio, 330, 401, 451. 

of the Potomac, 228, 245, 437. 

of the Tennessee, 451, 903. 

Sherman's, 462-474, 505-513. 
Arkansas Post, 370. 
Ashby Turner killed, 253. 
Atlanta, burning of, 465. 

siege of, 459. 

taken, 465. 

the iron-clad, 392. 
Averill at Winchester, 442. 
Ayer's troops at Five Forks, 518, 

B. 

Bailey, Joseph, 425. 
Baker, Edward D., death of, 148. 
Ball's Blufl^, battle of, 147. 
Baltimore, occupied by Butler, 71. 

Union troops mobbed at, 53. 
Banks, N. P., attacks Fort Hudson, 
384. 



Index. 



547 



Banks, N. P., at Cedar Creek, 272. 

at New Orleans, 384. 

at Washington, 289. 

at Winchester, 253, 

succeeded by Canby, 480. 
Barlow, General, at Gettysburg, 362. 
Barron, S., i6i. 

Baton Rouge, La., captured, 317. 
Battle above the clouds, 408. 
Baylor, General, killed, 278. 
Beauregard, P. G. T., at Bull Run, 204. 

at Charleston, 394. 

at Corinth, 200. 

at Petersburg, 438. 

at Shiloh, 204. 
Bee, B. E., General, at Bull Run, 98. 
Belle Isle, 495. 
Belmont, battle of, 130. 
Benton, the, 370. 
Benton ville, battle of, 510. 
Berry, General Hiram G., killed at 

Chancellorsville, 347. 
Big Bethel, battle of, 75. 
Big Tybee Island, 168. 
Bill of fare at Vicksburg, 380. 
Blair, Frank P., 79, 455, 
Blockading, 62, 392, 476, 779, 486. 
Blue and Gray, S43- 
Body-guard, Fremont's, 114. 
Bomb-Shell, the, 486. 
Booneville, Miss., battle of, 322. 
Boonville, Mo., battle of, 83. 
Booth, J. Wilkes, assassinates Mr. 

Lincoln, 543. 
Booth, Major, at Fort Pillow, 416. 
Bradford, Major, at Fort Pillow, 416. 
Bragg, Braxton, at Chattanooga, 396, 
410. 

at Chickamauga, 401. 

at Murfreesboro', 330. 

at Tupelo, 321. 
Breckinridge, John C, at Cold Har- 
bor, 436. 

at Murfreesboro', 331. 
Bridge of sighs, 495. 
Brown, John, 9-17. 
Brown, Colonel Harvey, 161. 
Brownell, 70. 
Brownlow, Parson, 134. 
Brooklyn, the, 480. 
Buchanan, James, 22. 
Buchanan, Franklin, in the Tennessee, 

485. _ 
Buckner, Simon B., at Fort Donelson, 

179. 
Buckner, Simon B., sent to Fort 
Warren, iSi. 



Bucll, Don Carlos, at Corinth, 200. 

at Shiloh, 207. 

relieved, 328. 

in Tennessee, 324. 
Bull Run, battle of, 95, 97. 
Burns, John, at Gettysburg, 354, 
Burnside, Ambrose E., at Antietam, 
297. 

at Fredericksburg, 306. 

at Knoxville, 411. 

at Petersburg mine, 439. 

at South Mountain, 294. 

at Wilderness, 344. 

commands Army of the Potomac, 

305- 
Butler, Benjamin F., at Annapolis, 57. 
at Baltimore, 69. 
at Fort Fisher, 503. 
at Hatteras Inlet, 161. 
at Fortress Monroe, 92. 
at New Orleans, 220. 
at Petersburg, 428. 
digs Dutch Gap Canal, 441. 



Cabell, General, captured, 421. 
Calhoun, John C, 5. 
Cameron, Simon, 226. 
Camp Butler, 71. 

Chase, 498. 

Dick Robinson, 124. 

Douglas, 498. 

Hamilton, 71. 

Jackson, 79. 

Joe Holt, 124. 
Canal, Dutch Gap, 441. 

at Island Number Ten, 190. 

at Vicksburg, 37, 370. 
Canby, E. R. S., 134, 480, 514. 
Cape Fear River, 486. 
Carnifex Ferry, battle of, 151. 
Carondelet, the, 178. 
Carrick's Ford, battle of, 88. 
Carter, General, killed, 399. 
Casey, General, 258. 
Cass, Lewis, 26. 
Catskill, the, 391. 
Cedar Creek, battle of, 447. 
Chalmers, General, at Fort Pillow, 41 ; 
Chanibersburg, Penn., 443. 
Champion Hills, battle of, 374. 
Chancellorsville, battle of, 345. 
Chantilly, battle of, 281. 
Charleston, S.C., 21. 

burning of, 509. 

naval attack on, 391. 



548 



Index, 



Chase, Salmon P., 490. 
Chattanooga, beleaguered, 403. 
Chickahominy, battle of, 358. 

Grant's campaign, 436. 

McClellan's campaign, 358. 
Chickamauga, battle of, 402. 
Christian Commission, 106. 

at Gettysburg, 361. 

work of, 497. 
Clem, Johnny, 403. 
Cobb, Howell, 25. 
Cold Harbor, battle of, 436. 

Sheridan captures, 436. 
Columbia, burning of, 506. 
Columbia, Miss., women of, 540. 
Columbus, Ga., captured, 515. 
Collins, Napoleon, 479. 
Comfort, Old Point, 72. 
Confederacy, army of the, cut in two, 

finances of, 50. 

in 1865, 539. 

uniform of, 66. 
Congress, the, 233. 

Confederate, loi. 

Peace, 22. 
Conspirators at Camp Douglas, 501. 
Constitution, the, 57. 
Contraband, 72. 
Corinth, battle of, 320. 

Union army at, 318. 
Corse, John M., at Allatoona, 461. 

at Rome, Ga., 461. 
Cotton-Plant, the, 486. 
Cox, J. D., 151. 
Crawford, Penn., reserves, 357. 
Craven, Captain T. A., at Mobile Bay, 

481. 
Crittenden, G. B., 172. 
Crook, General George, 437. 

at Appomattox, 522. 

at the Opequan, 444. 
Cullom, General, 170. 
Cumberland, the, 233. 
Cummings, Lieutenant-Commander, 

386. 
Curtis, Samuel R., 117. 

at Pea Ridge, 198. 

resists Price, 421. 
Gushing, William B., destroys the 

Albemarle, 489. 
Custer, at Gettysburg, 361. 

at Appomattox, 522. 



D. 



Dahlgren, John A., 393. 



JDahlgren, Ulric, 428. 
Davis, C. H., 314. 
Davis, Jefferson, 22, 58. 

at Murfreesboro', 331. 

captured, 539. 

flight of, 53>. 

leaves for Danville, 519. 

released, 539. 

reward for, 534. 
Davis, Jefferson C., at Bentonville, 
510. 

at Pea Ridge, 198. 

at Rome, Ga., 454. 
DeCourcy, General, 411. 
De Peyster, Johnston, 520. 
Devens, Colonel, 147. 
Dix, John A., 352. 
Donelson, Fort, battle of, 180. 
Douglas, Stephen A., death of, 76. 
Drayton, Percival, at Mobile Bay, 481. 

at Port Royal, 166. 
Drayton, T. F., at Port Royal, 166. 
Dug Springs, battle of, 108. 
Duncan, Captain, 469. 
Dupont, S. F., at Charleston, 391. 

at Hilton Head, 166. 
Duryea, Colonel, 71. 



Eads, J. D., 314. 

Early, Jubal, at Chambersburg, 441. 

at the Opequan, 444. 

at Winchester, 448. 

attacks Washington, 442. 

in Shenandoah Valley, 441. 
Eastman, Chaplain, 361. 
Ellet, A. W., 314. 
EUet, Charles, jun., 314. 
Ellsworth, Elmer E., 66, 68. 
Emancipation, Proclamation of, 302. 
Emancipation Proclamation burned, 

497- 
Emory, General, at New Orleans, 387. 

at the Opequan, 444. 

at Washington, 442. 
Ericsson, John, 230. 
Ewell, R. S., attacks Winchester, 351. 

captured, 521. 

in the Wilderness, 430. 

wounded, 276. 
Ezra Church, battle of, 459. 



Fair Oaks, battle of, 258. 

Farragut, David G.,at Mobile Bay, 481, 



Index. 



549 



Farragut, David G., at New Orleans, 
223, 

at Port Hudson, 385. 

refuses to be " saved," 482. 
Fisher's Hill, battle of, 447. 
Fitcii, Colonel, at Memphis, 502. 
Five Forks, battle of, 518. 
Florida, the, 479. 
Floyd, John B., 25-28, 150. 

at Donelson, 179. 

in West Virginia, 151. 
Folly Island, 393. 
Foote, Andrew H., 173, i-]-]. 

at Fort Donelson, 179. 

at Fort Henry, 174. 

death of, 393. 

succeeds Dupont, 393. 
Ford, Colonel, cashiered, 293. 
Forrest, N. B., at Guntown, 417. 

at Murfreesboro', 324. 

at Pillow, 416. 

at Tupelo, 417. 

defeated by Wilson, 513. 

in Tennessee, 416. 

joins Hood, 462. 

raid of, around Grant, 368. 
Foster, John G., at Savannah, 505. 
Fort Anderson destroyed, 504. 

Caswell, 504. 

De Russy taken, 418. 

Donelson, battle of, 177. 

Fisher taken, 503. 

Gaines, battle of, 485. 

Gregg, battle of, 519. 

Henry, battle of, 174. 

McAllister captured, 3S8, 

Morgan, battle of, 485. 

Moultrie abandoned, 26. 

Pickens, 46, 161. 

Pillow, abandoned, 317. 
massacre of, 416. 

Sumter, 26, 32, 40. 
bombarded, 394. 

Wagner evacuated, 394. 
Franklin, battle of, 462. 
Franklin, W. B., 257. 

assists in Red River expedition, 
418. 

at Fredericksburg, 306. 

at South Mountain, 294. 

captured, 442. 
Frankfort, Ky., taken, 324. 
Fredericksburg, battle of, 306. 
Freitchie, Barbara, 286. 
Fremont, John C, 113, 119-122. 

at Cross Keys, 253. 

refuses to serve under Pope, 269. 



French princes, 140. 
Frost, General, 78. 
Fugitive Slave Law, 6, 9. 
Fuller, Rev. Arthur B., 305, 

G. 

Gaines's Mill, battle of, 263. 
Gainesville, 263. 
Galena, the, 480. 
Galveston, 387. 

Gardner, Colonel F. K., at Port Hud- 
son, 334. 
Garesche, Colonel, 334. 
Garfield, James A., 171. 

at Chickamauga, 401. 
Garland, General, death of, 295. 
Garnett, R. S., Zt. 
Garrison, William Lloyd, 6. 
Geary, General, 407. 
Geneva award, 480. 
Gettysburg, battle of, 357. 
Gile, Captain D. H., 458. 
Gillmore, Q. A., at Charleston, 393. 

in Florida, 422. 
Gilmor, Harry, in Maryland, 442. 
Gleason, Captain, 112. 
Glendale, battle of, 265. 
Goldsborough, Louis M., 215. 
Goldsboro', Sherman at, 513. 
Gordon, General, 522. 
Gosport navy-yard, 55, 250. 
Granger, Gordon, at Mobile, 402. 
Grant, Colonel Fred, t^^jt^. 
Grant, Ulysses S., 1 11, 126. 

and Sheridan, 443. 

at Belmont, 130. 

at Chattanooga, 403. 

at Corinth, 330. 

at Donelson, 178. 

at Henry, 174. 

at Petersburg, 516. 

at Spottsylvania, 434. 

captures Jackson, Miss., 373. 

conduct of, at Lee's surrender, 529. 

letter from, to Lee, 521. 

lieutenant-general, 427. 

major-general, t^^"]. 

on the Chickahominy, 436. 

plans for campaign, 429. 

receives gold medal, 410. 

reply to Lee, 522. 

stands by Sherman, 538. 

supplies Lee's army with rations, 
526. 
Greble, John T., 75. ' • - 

Greirson, Benjamin H., raid of, 371. 



550 



Index. 



Groveton, battle of, 277. 



H. 



Haines's Bluff, 373. 
Halleck, Henry W., 116, 170. 

chief -of-staff, 427, 

general-in-chief, 270. 
Hampton, Va., burned, 15S. 
Hampton, Wade, at Gettysburg, 361. 

in South Carolina, 506. 
Hancock, Winfield S., at Fredericks- 
burg, 306. 

at Gettysburg, 354. 

at Spottsylvania, 433. 

at Williamsburg, 246. 

in the Wilderness, 430. 
Hanover Court-House, battle of, 255. 
Hardee, J. W., at Rocky Face Moun- 
tain, 453. 

at Savannah, 469. 

evacuates Charleston, 509. 

joins Beauregard, 510. 
Harding, Colonel, at Donelson, 336. 
Harney, William S., 86. 
Harold, conspirator with Booth, 537. 
Harper's Ferry seized, 54. 
Harriet Lane, the, ^j-i,. 
Harris, Rev. Matthew, 510. 
Harrison's Landing, 266. 
Hart, Peter, 41. 
Hartford, the, 385, 481. 
Hatch, General, 278. 
Hayes, Alexander, killed, 430. 
Hazen, W. B., at Murfreesboro', 334. 

at McAllister, 470. 
Heintzleman, S. P., 95, 258. 
Helena, Ark., attacked, 388. 
Hickenlooper, Colonel, 375. 
Hicks, Colonel S. G., 416. 
Hill, A. P., at Antietam, 296. 

at Gettysburg, 354. 

at Harper's Ferry, 293. 

death of, 519. 

in the W^ilderness, 346. 
Hill, D. H., 265. 
Hilton Head, 166. 
Hoge, Mrs., 182. 
Hoke, R. F., 485, 504. 
Holt, Joseph, 28. 
Hood, J. B., at Atlanta, 459. 

at Franklin, 462. 
at Gettysburg, 357. 
at Nashville, 463. 
resigns, 464. 
succeeds Johnston, 456. 



Hooker, Joseph E., succeeds to the 
• Army of the Potomac, 341. 

at Antietam, 297. 

at Atlanta, 456. 

at Chattanooga, 404. 

at Fredericksburg, 343. 

at Williamsburg, 246. 

wounded, 297. 
Howe, Daniel, 45. 
Howard, O, O,, at Chancellorsville, 

345: 

at Fair Oaks, 260. 

at Gettysburg, 354. 

succeeds McPherson, 458. 

with Sherman's army, 505. 
Humphreys, General, at Fredericks- 
burg, 307. 
Hunt, George, 335. 
Hunter, David, 93, 115. 

in Shenandoah Valley, 443. 

relieves Sigel, 437. 

transferred to the South, 219. 

transferred to the West, 393. 



L 

Interview between Grant and Pem- 

berton, 381. 
Irish brigade, no. 
Itasca, the, 480. 
luka, battle of, 329. 

J- 

Jackson, C. F., 78, 83. 
Jackson, Miss., captured, 373. 
Jackson, Thomas J. (Stonewall), at 
Bull Run, 98. 

at Chancellorsville, 345. 

at Fredericksburg, 286. 

at South Mountain, 294. 

at Winchester, 251. 

death of, 346. 

flanks the Union army, 276. 

in the Shenandoah Valley, 262. 
Jenkins, A. G., 351. 

killed in the Wilderness, 431. 
Johnson, Edward, captured, 434. 
Johnston, Albert S., at Corinth, 200. 

death of, 207. 
Johnston, Joseph E., at Atlanta, 456. 

at Bentonville, 510. 

at Bull Run, 95, 96. 

at Kenesaw Mountain, 454. 

captured, 464. 

commands army at Vicksburg, 



Index. 



551 



Johnston, Joseph E., in Shenandoah 
Valley, 89. 

relieved, 456. 

retreats to Allatoona Pass, 4^3. 

succeeds Bragg, 452. 

surrenders, 539. 

wounded, 261. 
Jouett, Captain, at Mobile, 481. 



K. 

Kearney, Philip, at Bull Run, 258. 

at Chantilly, 281. 

death of, 281. 

protest of, 269. 
Kearsarge, the, 476. 
Kelley, Benjamin F., 84. 
Kenan, Major Peter, 345. 
Kenesaw Mountain, battle of, 455. 
Kennebec, the, 480. 
Keokuk, the, 392. 
Kernstown, battle of, 253, 442. 
Keyes, General, 257. 
Kilpatrick, Judson, assists Wistar, 427. 

destroys Macon Railroad, 459. 

escapes from Wade Hampton, 
510. 
Kilpatrick's raid around Richmond, 

. 427- ^ 
"Knights of the Golden Circle," 501. 
Knoxville, siege of, 412. 



L. 

Lackawana, the, 480. 
Lady Davis, the, 62. 
Laird, John, 475, 479. 
Lander, General, death of, 252. 
Lawlor, M. K., 375. 
Lawrence, Kan,, 337. 
Lee, Custis, captured, 427. 
Lee, Robert E., advances into Mary- 
land, 285. 

and Johnston separated, 537. 

a prisoner, 526. 

asks for terms of surrender, 521. 

at Amelia Court-House, 520. 

at Antietam, 295. 

at Chancellorsville, 343. 

at Cold Harbor, 436. 

at Gettysburg, 352. 

at Spottsylvania, 432. 

beleaguered at Petersburg, 516. 

captures Fort Steedman, 516. 

commands Confederate armies, 
261. 



Lee, Robert E., commands Confed 
erate forces in Virginia, 150. 

defeated at Five Forks, 51 8. 

falls back to Richmond, 437. 

in the Wilderness, 431. 

on the Rappahannock, 275. 

parting from his army, 526. 

recrosses the Rapidan, 360. 

surrenders, 522. 
Lee, S. D., succeeds Polk, 455. 
Lee, W. F. H., captured, 351. 
Leesburg (Ball's Bluff), 148. 
Libby Prison, 495. 
Lincoln, Abraham, 18, }iZ~y]- 

assassination of, 533. 

cabinet of, 38. 

calls for volunteers, 47. 

inauguration of, -^t, 38. 

inauguration, second, 516. 

last speech, 533. 

measuresof, to ward colored troops, 
492. 

nominated the second time, 498. 

orders blockade, 61. 

orders celebration at Sumter, 510. 

orders McClellan to advance, 227. 

platform of, 498. 

Proclamation of Emancipation 
by, 302. 

re-elected, 501. 

sets apart a day of thanksgiving, 
410. 

visits army at Antietam, 302. 

visits army at Fredericksburg, 

343- 

visits army at Harrison's Landing, 
266. 

visits City Point, 530. 

visits Richmond, 530. 
Lincoln, Tad, at Fredericksburg, 343. 

in the White House, 533. 
Little rebel, the, 317. 
Logan, John A., 505. 
Longstreet, James, at Antietam, 296. 

at Chickamauga, 401. 

at Gaines's Mill, 263. 

at Gettysburg, 357. 

at Knoxville, 412. 

at Suffolk, Va., 350. 

at Williamsburg, 246. 

in the Wilderness, 430. 
Lookout Mountain, 40S. 
Louisiana, the, 503. 
Lovell, Mansfield, 224. 
Lowe, Professor, 92. 
Lyon, Nathaniel, 79, 83. 

at Dug Springs, 108. 



552 



Index. 



Lyon, Nathaniel, at Wilson's Creek, 

no. 
Lytle, William H., at Chickamauga, 

401. 
at Perryville, 328. 

M. 

Macon, Ga., 515. 
Mafifit, John H., 479. 
Magoffin, Governor, 124. 
Magruder, J. B., at Hampton, 158. 

at Yorktown, 241. 

in " seven-days' battles," 264. 
Malvern Hills, battle of, 266. 
Manassas evacuated, 228. 

second battle of, 276. 
Mansfield, General, death of, 297. 
Marion, the, 32. 
Marks, Chaplain, 264. 
Marmaduke, General, captured, 421. 
Marshall, Humphrey, 171. 
Mason, James M., 6, 163. 
McCall, General, 263. 
McClellan, George B., 84, 88. 

at Antietam, 295. 

at South Mountain, 294. 

before Yorktown, 241. 

divides his army, 228. 

general-in-chief, 158. 

nominated for President, 498. 

on the Chickahominy, 262. 

on the Peninsula, 257. 

platform of, 498. 

relieved, 229. 

relieved at Antietam, 302. 

retreats to Harrison's Landing, 
266. 
McClernand, John A., at Donelson, 
179. 

at Henry, 174. 

at Vicksburg, 374. 

receives appointment to command 
river troops, 368. 
McCook, A. D., 333. 
McCook, Daniel, 399, 455. 
McCulloch, Ben, 108, 123. 
McDowell, Irwin, 88. 

Army of Potomac, under, 95. 

at Bull Run, 98. 

in the Shenandoah Valley, 255. 

marching-orders of, 96. 

under Pope, 272. 
McLaws, 290. 
McLean, Wilmer, 522. 
McPherson, James B., at Atlanta, 458. 

at Champion Hills, 374. 



McPherson, James B., at Vicksburg, 
_382._ 

brigadier-general in regular army, 
387- 

commands Army of the Tennes- 
see, 451. 

death of, 458. 
Meade, George G., at Cuipeper Court- 
House, 363. 

at Fredericksburg, 349. 

at Gettysburg, 354. 

commands Army of Potomac, 
352- 

seizes Weldon Railroad, 440. 
Mechanicsville, battle of, 263. 
Memorial Day, 540. 
Memphis occupied, 317. 
Merrimac, the, 229. 
Metacomet, the, 480. 
Miles, Colonel D. H., 93, 98. 

death of, 293. 
Milledgeville, Ga., occupied, 466. 
Millen prison, 466. 
Milliken's Bend, 388. 
Milroy, 252, 351. 
Minnesota, the, 234. 
Missionary Ridge, battle of, 409. 
Mitchel, O. M., death of, 388. 

seizes HuntsviJle, Ala., 309. 

transferred to the Department of 
the South, 388. 
Mobile Bay, battle of, 481. 
Mobile City falls, 514. 
Monitor, the, 230, 391. 
Monongahela, the, 480. 
Montauk, the, 391. 
Montgomery, Ala., 22, 515. 
Morgan, John H., death of, 421. 

marriage of, 332. 

raid of, in Kentucky, 399. 

raid of, in Ohio, 324. 
Mower, General, 505. 
Mulligan, James A., at Lexington, 
no, 113. 

death of, 442. 
Mumfordsville, battle of, 327. 
Murfreesboro', battle of, T^^^y 
Murphy, Colonel R. C, 329, 368. 



N. 

Nahant, the, 392. 
Nantucket, the, 391. 
Nashville, battle of, 463. 
Nashville, the, destroyed, 391. 
Natchez, Miss., occupied, 317. 



Index. 



553 



Negley, General, defends Nashville, 

Newberne, 219. 

New Hope Church, battle of, 454. 

New Ironsides, 391. 

New Orleans, capture of, 224. 

Newport News, 71. 

Nichols, the telegraph-operator, 259. 

Norfolk evacuated, 250. 

Northern Virginia, Army of, 526. 



O. 

Octorara, the, 480. 

" Old Abe," war eagle, 383. 

Oneida, the, 480. 

Opequan River, battle of, 444. 

Ord, E. O. C, 522. 

Oreto, the, 479. 

Osterhaus, P. J., 465. 



Page (Confederate), General, at Fort 

Morgan, 48 5. 
Parke, John 1^, relieves Burnside, 440. 
Passaic, the, 391. 
Patterson, Robert, 89, 102. 
Paulding, Hiram, 55. 
Peace Democrats, 498. 
Pea Ridge, battle of, 198. 
Peck, J. J., at Suffolk, Va., 350. 
Pegram, Colonel, 88. 
Pemberton, John C, 331. 

at Vicksburg, 369. 

surrenders, 382. 
Pepper, Nathaniel, 400. 
Pensacola, Fla,, 162. 
Perryville, battle of, 328. 
Petersburg assaulted, 439. 

attacked, 438. 

mine at, 440. 
Petrel, the, 62. 

Pettigrew, General, at Gettysburg, 358. 
Phelps, Colonel I. W., at Newport 

News, 71. 
Phelps, Lieutenant, Commander, 177. 
Philippi, battle of, 84. 
Pickens, Governor, 32, 39. 
Pickett at Gettysburg, 358. 
Pierce, E. W., 71. 
Pike, Albert, 197. 
Pillow, General, 179. 
Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh), battle of, 
204. 



Pleasant Hill, battle of, 344. 
Pleasanton attacks Stuart, 351. 
Polk, Bishop Leonidas, 126-129. 

at Belmont, 130. 

at Chickamauga, 402. 

at Murfreesboro', 332. 

death of, 455. 
Pope, John, 123. 

at Chantilly, 282. 

at Washington, 270. 

captures Island Number Ten, 194. 

captures New Madrid, 193. 

transferred to the West, 282. 
Port Gibson, battle of, 372. 
Port Hudson, battle of ,^386. 
Port Royal, 164-166. 
Porter, David D., at Fort Fisher, 504. 

at New Orleans, 223. 

at Vicksburg, 370, 372. 

in Red River expedition, 418, 420. 
Porter, Fitz-John, at Hanover Court- 
House, 257. 

dismissed from service, 278. 

on the Peninsula, 238, 247. 
Potomac, Army of the, organized, 

95- 
Prentiss, B. M., 204. 

defends Helena, Ark., 388. 
Price, Sterling, 80, 83, 117. 

at Lexington, no, 113. 

at Wilson's Creek, 109. 

raid of, into Kansas, 421. 

seizes luka, 329. 
Prices in the South, 492. 
Putnam, Lieutenant, 149. 



Q. 



Quantrel, Colonel, in Kansas and 
Missouri, ^t^t. 



Ransom, T. E. G., death of, 464. 
Rathbone, H. R., 533. 
Raymond, battle of, yj^. 
Raymond, Henry J., 307. 
Red River blockaded, 386. 

expedition, 418. 
Reno, Jesse L., at Chantilly, 281. 

death of, 295. 
Review of Union armies, 540. 
Reward offered for slave, 460. 
Reynolds, George, receives a gold 

medal, 458. 
Reynolds, John F., death of, 354. 



554 



hidex. 



Reynolds, Joseph J., 152. 
Rhind, A. C, 503. 
Rich Mountain, battle of, S7. 
Richmond, fall of, 520. 
Richmond, the, 385. 

at Mobile Bay, 480. 
Riots in New York, 338. 
Roanoke Island, 215. 
Rodgers, John, captures the Atlanta, 

392- 
Rosecrans, William S., 151. 

at Chattanooga, 400. 

at Chickamauga, 401. 

at Corinth, 329. 

at Murfreesboro', -^t^^. 

follows Bragg, 456. 

in West Virginia, 152. 

succeeds Buell, 330. 
Rousseau's raid in Alabama, 456. 
Ruffin, Edmund, 40. 



S. 



Sabine Cross-roads, battle of, 419. 
Sanborn, General, routs Price, 421. 
Sanitary Commission, 102, 497. 

fair at Chicago, 497. 
Santa Rosa Island, 161. 
San Jacinto, the, 163. 
Savannah, the, 6. 
Savannah evacuated, 473. 
St. Louis, disturbances in, 79. 
Schenck, Robert E., 88. 

wounded at Manassas, 278. 
Schofield, John M., at Franklin, 462. 

at Goldsboro', 513. 

at Nashville, 464. 

commands Department of North 
Carolina, 504. 

in Atlanta campaign, 451. 
Scott, William, 140, 244. 
Scott, Winfield, 48, 71, 149. 
Secession, Act of, 22. 
Sedgwick, John, at Fredericksburg, 

349- 

killed at Spottsylvania, 433. 

on the Chickahominy, 258. 
Selma, the, 482. 
Semmes, Raphael, captured, 521. 

in the Alabama, 475. 
Seven Pines, battle of, 257. 
Seward, William H., 38. 
Seymour, Freeman, at Fort Wagner, 

393- 
Seymour, Freeman, captured, 431. 
defeated in Florida, 422. 



^Shackleford, General, 411. 
Shaler, General, captured, 431. 
Shaw, Robert G., killed at Fort Wag- 
ner, 393. 
Shenandoah Valley laid waste, 447. 
Sheridan, Philip H., and Miss Wriglit, 
444. 

and Stuart, 435. 

at Appomattox, 522. 

at Booneville, Miss., 321. 

at Chickamauga, 402. 

at Cold Harbor, 436. 

at Five Forks, 518. 

at Missionary Ridge, 409. 

at Murfreesboro', 333. 

at Petersburg, 516. 

at Winchester, 448. 

in Shenandoah Valley, 447. 

pursues Lee, 521. 
Sherman, Colonel Frank, 456. 
Sherman, T. W., at Hilton Head, 165. 
Sherman, William T., at Atlanta, 
460. 

at Bull Run, 97. 

at Chattanooga, 403. 

at Chickasaw Bluffs, 368. 

at Columbia, 509. 

at Knoxville, 412. «» 

at Memphis, 367. 

at Meridian campaign, 415. 

at Raleigh, 537. 

at Savannah, 473. 

at Shiloh, 204. 

at St. Louis, 170. 

at Vicksburg, 376. 

censured, 538. 

closes in around Atlanta, 459. 

enters Goldsboro', 513. 

in Kentucky, 129. 

offers terms to Johnston, 537. 

signal from, to Corse, 461. 

telegram to Lincoln, 473. 

visits Lincoln at City Point, 513. 
Shields, General, succeeds Lander 

252. 
Shiloh, battle of, 207. 
Sickles, Daniel, at Gettysburg, 357. 
Sibley, H. H., 133. 
Sigel, Franz, at Carthage, 104. 

at St. Louis, 80. 

at Wilson's Creek, 113. 

under Pope, 269. 
Slemmer, Adam, 46. 
Slidell, John, 163. 
Slocum, H. W., at Bentonville, 510. 

succeeds Hooker, 458. 
Smith, A. J., at Tupelo, 417. 



Index. 



555 



Smith, A. J., joins Thomas, 463. 
Smith, C. F., and Grant, 200. 

at Donelson, 179. 

at Fort Henry, 174. 
Smith, E. Kirby, at Bull Run, 98. 

in Kentucky, 324. 

succeeds Canby, 539. 
Smith, VV, F., at Petersburg, 438. 
Soldiers' monuments, 540. 
Spottsylvania, battle of, 433. 
Springfield, Mo., 120. 
Stanley, D, S., 336, 463. 
Stanton, Edwin M., 226. 
Star of the West, the, 31. 
" Starvation Club " in Richmond, 492. 
Steedman, at Chickamauga, 402. 

at Nashville, 463. 
Steele, F., in Arkansas, 420, 458. 

at Mobile, 514. 
Steward, George H., captured, 434. 
Stevens, Alexander H., 22. 

captured and released, 539. 
Stone, C. P., at Ball's Bluff, 147. 
Stone fleet, 169. 

Stoneman, George, captures Salisbury, 
N.C, 514. 

raid of, around Atlanta, 459. 

raid of, behind Lee, 349. 
Stonewall, the, 479. 
Streight, A. D., cai^tured, 336. 

escapes, 427. 
Stringham, Silas H., 158. 
Strong, George C, 391. 
Strong, William E., 382, 458. 
Stuart, J. E. B.,at Catlett's Station, 275. 

at Chambersburg, 302. 

at Chancellorsville, 348. 

at Culpeper Court-House, 351. 

death of, 435. 
Sturgis, General, at Guntown, 417. 

at Wilson's Creek, 109. 
Sumner, E. V., at Antietam, 297. 

at Fair Oaks, 258. 

at Fredericksburg, 306. 

death of, 341. 

transferred to the \Vest, 341. 
Sumter, attack on, 40. "^ 

bombardment of, 392. 

removal to, 26. 

surrender of, 42. 
Swamp Angel, the, 394. 
Swayne, Wager, 505. 
Sweet, B. J., at Camp Douglas, 501. 



T. 



Tatnell, Josiah, 166. 



Taylor, Dick, ■^%']^ 464. 
Tecumseh, the, 481. 
Tennessee, the, 482. 
Terry, Alfred H., captures Fort Fish- 
er, 504. 
Thomas, George H., 172. 

at Chattanooga, 451. 

at Chickamauga, 401. 

in Kentucky, 328. 

in Murfreesburo', 333. 

in Nashville, 463. 

succeeds Rosecrans, 403. 
Thompson, Secretary, 26, 31. 
Thompson, Jack, scout, 458. 
Thompson, Jeft., 130. 
Tigress, the, 371. 

Tilghman, Lloyd, at Fort Henry, 174. 
Toucey, Secretary, 25. 
Tower, General, at Manassas, 278. 
Trent, the, 163. 
Turner's Gap, battle of, 294. 
Twiggs, General, 46. 
Tyler, E. B., 93-95. 
Tyler, John, country house, 73. 



Union flag, 66. 



Van Dorn, at Corinth, 330. 

at Holly Springs, 367. 

at luka, 329. 

relieved, 331. 
Verses found on a battle-field, 491. 
Vicksburg bombarded, 317. 

siege of, 379. 

surrenders, 382. 
Vienna, 88. 
Virginia secedes, 54. 



W. 

Wabash, the, 165. 

Wachusett, the, 479. 

Wade, Jennie, 362. 

Wadsworth, death of, 430. 

Wagner, Fort, bombarded, 393. 

Walke, Captain, 130, 178. 

Walker, General, at Milliken's Bend, 

388. 
Wallace, W. H. L., at Shiloh, 207. 
Wallace, Lewis, at Donelson, 178. 
at Henry, 174. 



556 



Index. 



Wallace, Lewis, at Shiloh, 207. 

.defends Cincinnati, 324. 
Warren, G. K., m the Wilderness, 430. 
Washington attacked by Early, 449. 

threatened, 52. 
Weehawken, 391, 394. 
Weitzel, Godfrey, at Fort Fisher, 502. 

enters Richmond, 520. 
Welles, Gideon, 38. 
Wessells, Henry W., at Plymouth, 485. 
West Virginia, 84. 
White House, Va., 257. 
White, Julius, succeeds Miles, 293. 
Whiting, General, captured, 504. 
Wigfall, 41. 
Wilderness, the, 503. 
Wilder, T. J., at Mumfordsville, 327. 
Wilkes, Charles, 163. 
Williams, A. S., 370. 

death of, 318. 
Williamsburg, battle of, 246. 
Winslow, Captain John E., 476. 
Wilson, James H., captures Davis, 

539- 
defeats Forrest, 515. 
Wilson's Creek, battle of, 106. 
Winder, John H,, 496. 



Winthrop, Major Theodore, 71, 75. 
Wirz, Henry, 496. 
Wise, Henry A., 152. 
Wistar, General, 427. 
Wright, Miss Rebecca, 444. 
Wright, Horatio G., at Cedar Creek, 
448. 

succeeds Sedgwick, 433. 
Women of Gettysburg, 357. 

of the South, 492. 
Wool, John E., 158. 
Worden, John L., 237. 

destroys the Nashville, i%%. 



Yorktown, siege of, 241. 



Z. 

Zacharias, Rev. Dr., 289. 
Zagonyi, Major, 120. 
Zollicoffer, General, 130. 
Zouaves, 66, 161. 



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